WO2023027707A1

WO2023027707A1 - Process gas containment using elastic objects mated with reactor interfaces

Info

Publication number: WO2023027707A1
Application number: PCT/US2021/047611
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jeffrey KHO; Shouqian Shao; Jrjyan Jerry Chen; Guangwei Sun; Kwang Soo Huh; Lai ZHAO; Zhelin SUN; Zonghui SU
Original assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
Priority date: 2021-08-25
Filing date: 2021-08-25
Publication date: 2023-03-02
Also published as: CN117980529A; KR20240044527A

Abstract

A deposition chamber system includes a reactor interface, a flow guide attached to the reactor interface, a reactor frame disposed underneath the reactor interface to secure a substrate, and an elastic object having a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a compressive body disposed above the reactor frame to form a process gas containment seal between the reactor interface and the reactor frame with a compressive force. The flow guide is one of an upstream flow guide to guide a process gas flow into a reactor for performing a deposition process with respect to a substrate loaded in the reactor, or a downstream flow guide to guide residual process gases out of the reactor after performing the deposition process.

Description

PROCESS GAS CONTAINMENT USING ELASTIC OBJECTS MATED WITH REACTOR INTERFACES

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The instant specification generally relates to electronic device fabrication. More specifically, the instant specification relates to process gas containment using elastic objects mated with reactor interfaces.

BACKGROUND

[0002] An electronic device manufacturing apparatus can include multiple chambers, such as process chambers and load lock chambers. Such an electronic device manufacturing apparatus can employ a robot apparatus in the transfer chamber that is configured to transport substrates between the multiple chambers. In some instances, multiple substrates are transferred together.

SUMMARY

[0003] In accordance with an embodiment, a deposition chamber system is provided. The deposition chamber system includes a reactor interface, a flow guide attached to the reactor interface, a reactor frame disposed underneath the reactor interface to secure a substrate, and an elastic object having a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a compressive body disposed above the reactor frame to form a process gas containment seal between the reactor interface and the reactor frame with a compressive force. The flow guide is one of an upstream flow guide to guide a process gas flow into a reactor for performing a deposition process with respect to a substrate loaded in the reactor, or a downstream flow guide to guide residual process gases out of the reactor after performing the deposition process.

[0004] In accordance with another embodiment, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a reactor interface of a deposition chamber system, and an elastic object having a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a compressive body to form a process gas containment seal with a compressive force between the reactor interface and a reactor frame disposed beneath the reactor interface to secure a substrate. [0005] In accordance with yet another embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes placing a substrate on a susceptor of a deposition chamber system while a reactor frame of the deposition chamber system is in a disengaged position. The substrate is placed on the susceptor at a first position relative to the reactor frame. The method further includes loading the substrate into a reactor of the deposition chamber system to obtain an engaged reactor frame, and raising the susceptor until an elastic objects is compressed between the engaged reactor frame and a reactor interface of the deposition chamber system to form a process gas containment seal. The susceptor is raised to a second position above the first position corresponding to a spacing between the substrate and a cathode of the deposition chamber system. The elastic object has a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface, and a second end corresponding to a compressive body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure will be understood more fully from the detailed description given below and from the accompanying drawings, which are intended to illustrate aspects and implementations by way of example and not limitation.

[0007] FIG. 1 is cross-sectional view of an example deposition chamber system, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0008] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of an example downstream section of a deposition chamber system, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0009] FIG. 2B is a close-up view of the downstream section of FIG. 2A, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0010] FIG. 3 is cross-sectional view of an example deposition chamber system, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of an example upstream section of a deposition chamber system at a disengaged position, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of an example upstream section of a deposition chamber system during reactor loading, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of an example upstream section of a deposition chamber system when the reactor is sealed, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method for implementing a deposition chamber system, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 6 are cross-sectional views of examples of elastic objects that can be used to form process containment seals within a deposition chamber system, in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Reactor designs for deposition chamber systems, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber systems, utilize windows for process gas containment (“containment windows”) to prevent process gases from leaking out of the reactor and damaging other deposition chamber system components. Typical reactor designs for ALD deposition chamber systems utilize process gas containment windows formed from a glass material. The glass material can have suitable thermal properties, such as low thermal expansion to reduce breakage resulting from temperature shocks. One example of a suitable glass material is borosilicate tempered glass (e.g., PYREX®). Containment windows made from such materials can exhibit a variety of problems such as, e.g., breakage, cost, material deformation, and reaction zone power loss. Additionally, reactor designs that implement such containment windows can include complex gas flow channels that have gas distribution challenges (e.g., risk of condensation). Moreover, parasitic plasma can exist between a cathode of the reactor and a reactor containment window made from a glass material.

[0017] Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure address these and other shortcomings of existing technologies by implementing process gas containment using an elastic object within a deposition chamber system. In some embodiments, the deposition chamber system is an ALD chamber system. In some embodiments, the deposition chamber system is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber system. A protective coating (e.g., plasma-resistant coating) can be applied to exposed surfaces within the reactor (e.g., the cathode) to prevent material corrosion for one or more types of process gas chemistries. For example, for a boron trichloride (BCL3) chemistry, a Y2O3 coating can be applied.

[0018] The reactor frame is designed to secure a substrate disposed on a susceptor upon loading of the substrate within the reactor, and provide the material deposition (e.g., film deposition) boundary for the deposition process. A susceptor includes a material that can either heat or cool the substrate disposed thereon to a temperature within a certain range. Susceptor design (e.g., material choice) can depend on the reactor operating temperature(s). In some embodiments, the reactor frame is a mask frame or a shadow frame. A mask frame or a shadow frame is designed to hold a substrate in place during the deposition process and can function as a stencil to define the film deposition boundary area on the substrate. For example, a mask frame can be used for smaller electronic devices, such as mobile phones, while a shadow frame can be used for larger electronic devices, such as televisions. The reactor interface is operatively coupled to a flow guide to direct process gas flow either into, or out of, the reactor.

[0019] The elastic object forms a process gas containment seal between a reactor frame and a reactor interface (e.g., reactor lid) to prevent the process gases from leaking out of the reactor into areas of the deposition chamber system that have unprotected surfaces (e.g., lack the protective coating). For example, the process gases can include the process gas flow introduced into the reactor during a deposition process, and remnants produced from the deposition process. The remnants can include residual gases (e.g., unreacted gases) and/or byproducts of the deposition process.

[0020] In some embodiments, the elastic objects has a first end corresponding to a base of the elastic object, and a second end corresponding to a compressive body of the elastic object. The first end is attached to (e.g., mated with) the reactor interface, such that the reactor frame comes in comes in contact with the second end of the elastic object to form the process gas containment seal upon compression of the elastic object between the reactor frame and the reactor interface. The compressive body can form the process gas containment seal between the reactor frame and the reactor interface in an upstream section of the deposition chamber system that is used to introduce the process gas flow into the reactor and/or in a downstream section of the deposition chamber system that is used to remove the remnants. The compressive body can include an elastic material having a suitable geometry and/or suitable material properties to enable process gas containment while reducing or eliminating potential damage to the reactor frame and the reactor interface.

[0021] For example, the elastic object can include a first elastic object portion within the upstream section, and a second elastic object portion within the downstream section, such that the first and second elastic object portions are defined from a continuous elastic material. In some embodiments, the first and second elastic object portions are discrete portions of elastic material within the upstream section and the downstream section, respectively.

[0022] Since the reactor frame need not be specially designed to enable formation of the process gas containment seal, any suitable reactor frame can be implemented within the deposition chamber system. Thus, the elastic object can be retrofit with respect to any suitable reactor frame. Due to the use of process gas containment windows formed from a glass material, reactor frames of the type described herein (e.g., mask frames or shadow frames) typically are not used in ALD deposition chamber systems. Thus, the use of the elastic objects described herein enables the use of such reactor frames within ALD deposition chamber systems to improve substrate processing.

[0023] Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure result in technological advantages over other approaches. For example, the use of an elastic object (e.g., low compression elastic object) for process gas containment can, as compared to the use of process gas containment windows, enable improved gas flow distribution without sacrificing process chamber size and/or increased footprint. Improved gas flow distribution can result in improved film uniformity and in-situ clean rate. Also, by eliminating the use for process gas containment windows, the elastic object can enable simplified gas distribution channels into the reactor to improve gas flow and reduce the risk of condensation and/or gas phase reaction.

[0024] The use of the elastic object can further enable the ability for variable or dynamic process spacing, in which the process spacing between the substrate and the reactor interface is related to the compressive force generated by the compression of the elastic object between the reactor frame and the reactor interface (e.g., more compression can correspond to a smaller process spacing). For example, there can be a first threshold force that corresponds to a minimum compressive force for creating the process gas containment seal, and a second threshold force that corresponds to a maximum compressive force that the elastic object can withstand before breaking. Accordingly, since the compressive force can range between the first and second threshold forces, the process spacing can similarly range between the process spacing corresponding to the first threshold force and the process spacing corresponding to the second threshold force. The threshold forces and/or process spacing can vary depending on the type of process recipe used.

[0025] The use of the elastic object can enable a simplified reactor frame design with reduced mass, thereby allowing for a robot (e.g., vacuum robot) to more easily remove the reactor frame from the deposition chamber system. The use of the elastic object can direct more power into the reaction zone and reduce parasitic plasma associated with the cathode of the deposition chamber system.

[0026] FIG. 1 is cross-sectional view of a deposition chamber system 100, in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, and as shown, the deposition chamber system 100 includes an ALD chamber system. However, the deposition chamber system 100 can include any suitable deposition chamber in accordance with the embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the deposition chamber system 100 includes a CVD chamber system.

[0027] As shown, the system 100 includes a susceptor 110, a cathode 120, and a reactor area 130 between the susceptor 110 and the cathode 120. The susceptor 110 is configured to receive a substrate (not shown in FIG. 1), raise the substrate into the reactor area 130 to perform a deposition process, and maintain the substrate within the reactor area 130 during processing. The susceptor 110 can be made of a suitable material that can heat and/or cool the substrate to a desired processing temperature. Examples of suitable materials for the susceptor 110 include aluminum (Al), stainless steel, and ceramic. The susceptor 110 can be provided with a protective coating to protect the susceptor 110 during processing. In some embodiments, the protective coating is a plasma-resistant coating. For example, the protective coating can include Y2O3 or other similar material. Other examples of plasma-resistant coatings that may be used include EnOs, Y3AI5O12 (YAG), E^AEOu (EAG), a composition comprising Y2O3 and ZrO2 (e.g., a Y2O3-ZrO2 solid solution), a composition comprising Y2O3, A12O3 and ZrO2 (e.g., a composition comprising Y4AI2O9 and a solid-solution of Y2O3-ZrO2), Y-O-F (e.g., Y5O4F7), YF3, and so on. The coatings may have been deposited by line-of sight or non-line-of-sight deposition processes, such as ALD, CVD, physical vapor deposition (PVD), ion-assisted deposition (IAD), and so on.

[0028] The cathode 120 can include any suitable conductive material in accordance with the embodiments described herein. For example, the cathode 120 can include aluminum (Al). The cathode 120 can be provided with a protective coating to protect the cathode 120 during processing. In some embodiments, the protective coating is a plasma-resistant coating. For example, the protective coating can include Y2O3 or other similar material. Any of the other plasma-resistant coatings discussed herein may also be used to coat the cathode 120.

[0029] As shown, the system 100 further includes an upstream section 140 and a downstream section 150. Although the downstream section 150 is shown on the left side of the system 100 and the upstream section 140 is shown in the right side of the system 100, such an arrangement should not be considered limiting.

[0030] The upstream section 140 is designed to support and flow a process gas flow upstream into the reactor of the system 100 for the deposition process. For example, the process gas flow can include gases that are introduced into the reactor to perform the deposition process. The process gas flow can be combined with a plasma (e.g., a plasma-enhanced deposition process). For example, the process gas can be used to form a plasma in the reactor, or a remote plasma may be formed and delivered into the reactor with the process gas. The downstream section 150 is designed to remove or evacuate remnants of the deposition process from the reactor, which can include residual gases (e.g., unreacted gases) and/or byproducts. As will be described in further detail herein, an elastic object can be included in the upstream section 140 and/or the downstream section 150 to form respective process gas seals for preventing process gases from leaking out and damaging other components of the system 100. In some embodiments embodiment, a single elastic object (e.g., an O-ring formed of the elastic object) may cover both the upstream section 140 and the downstream section 150. Further details regarding the downstream section 150 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2A-2B.

[0031] FIGS. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of an example downstream section 200 of a deposition chamber system, in accordance with some embodiments. The downstream section 200 can be the downstream section 150 described above with reference to FIG. 1. Although a downstream section is being shown, an upstream section of a deposition chamber system (e.g., the upstream section 140 described above with reference to FIG. 1) can have a similar arrangement of components.

[0032] As shown, the downstream section 200 includes a portion of the susceptor 110, a portion of the cathode 120, and a portion of the reactor area 130 of FIG. 1. The downstream section 200 further includes a flow guide 210, a first insulator 220, a second insulator 230, a reactor interface (e.g., reactor lid) 240, a reactor frame 250, and an elastic object 260. The upstream section (e.g., upstream section 140 of FIG. 1) can also include a similar flow guide, first insulator, second insulator, reactor interface, the reactor frame 250, and elastic object.

[0033] The flow guide 210 and the reactor interface 240 collectively provide a path 215 for the remnants of the deposition process (e.g., residual process gases and byproducts) to escape out of the reactor area 130. As will be described in further detail below, the elastic object 260 forms a process gas containment seal that prevents the remnants from leaking or escaping, which can protect other components of the deposition chamber system from potential damage.

[0034] The first insulator 220 and the second insulator 230 are disposed in contact with the cathode 120 and the reactor interface 240 to prevent arcing from the cathode 120. The first insulator 220 and the second insulator 230 can include different materials that have different properties. For example, the second insulator 230 can include a material that is less susceptible to melting by virtue of its location. In some embodiments, the first insulator 220 includes a nonstick material. For example, the nonstick material can be, e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or other suitable nonstick material. In some embodiments, the second insulator 240 includes a ceramic material.

[0035] The reactor frame 250 is designed to secure a substrate 270 disposed on the susceptor 110 upon loading of the substrate 270 within the reactor area 130. The reactor frame 250 can be any suitable reactor frame in accordance with the embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, the reactor frame 250 is a mask frame or shadow frame. The substrate 270 may have a square or rectangular shape, or may have other shapes such as a disc shape or other polygonal shape. The substrate 270 may be composed of, for example, a semiconductor body (e.g., a semiconductor wafer), a glass or ceramic body (e.g., a glass or ceramic coupon), a metal body, or some other type of material.

[0036] The elastic object 260 has a first end corresponding to a base 262 of the elastic object 260, and a second end corresponding to a compressive body 264 of the elastic object 260. The elastic object 260 is designed to form the process gas containment seal upon compression of the elastic object 260 between the reactor interface 240 and the reactor frame 250. As shown, the base 262 is mated with (e.g., inserted into) the reactor interface 240, such that the compressive body 264 is configured to contact the reactor frame 250 to form the process gas containment seal. [0037] The compressive body 264 can be comprised of a compressive material having material properties (e.g., bulk modulus, Young’s modulus, compressive strength, Poisson’s ratio, hardness) suitable for forming a process gas containment seal without damaging the reactor frame and/or the reactor interface. More specifically, the compressive body 264 can be comprised of a compressive material having material properties that provide for a suitably low compression force that is below a force threshold and that will not cause damage to components of the deposition chamber system (e.g., the susceptor 110 and/or the reactor frame 250). Moreover, to prevent breakage of the compressive body 264, the compression distance of the compressive body 264 should be within a suitable range upon contact with the reactor frame 250 during formation of the process gas containment seal. In some embodiments, the compression distance is less than about 4 millimeters (mm). For example, the compression distance can be between about 2 mm and about 3 mm. The compressive body may have a material and/or geometry that enable the compressive body to form a seal while maintaining a force that is less than the force threshold for a range of distances (e.g., over a range of +/-2 mm) between the reactor frame and the reactor interface. Thus, the compressive body may maintain a force of between A and B within the range of distances between the reactor frame and the reactor interface.

[0038] A spacing between the cathode 120 and the substrate 270 can be defined for a particular deposition process. For example, the spacing can be about 12 mm. The use of the elastic object 260 can enable the use of variable spacing between the cathode 120 and the substrate 270 to accommodate different deposition processes.

[0039] Since environmental conditions (e.g., high temperature and/or high pressure) can affect material properties, the compressive material can be selected to maintain its properties and integrity in various environments. For example, the compressive body 264 can illustratively be formed from an elastic polymer (elastomer) or other material with elastic or rubber-like properties. More specifically, the compressive body 264 can include a saturated elastomer due to greater stability against potentially extreme environmental conditions. In some embodiments, friction between the compressive body 264 and the reactor frame 250 and/or the reactor lid 240 can result in an approximately horizontal force that can further secure the compressive body 264 against the reactor frame 250 and/or the reactor lid 240, thereby improving the process containment seal. Examples of saturated elastomers include, but are not limited to, silicones (SI, Q, VMQ), fluorosilicones (FVMQ), fluoroelastomers (e.g., FKM and tetrafluoroethylene propylene (TFE/P)), and perfluoroelastomers (FFKM). In one embodiment, the compressive material comprises a perfluoropolymer (PFP) and/or a polyimide, which may retain its material properties at high temperature, and which may have resistance to erosion or corrosion caused by exposure to a plasma environment. Some examples of materials that may be used for the compressive material include Dupont’s™ ECCtreme™, Dupont’s KALREZ® (e.g., KALREZ 8900) and Daikin’s® DUPRA™.

[0040] In some embodiments, and as shown in this illustrative example, the base 262 and the compressive body 264 are formed from a same material, such that the elastic object 260 is a monolithic structure. However, the base 262 and the compressive body 264 can each be formed from different materials.

[0041] Regarding geometry, as shown, the base 262 may have a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape that secures the elastic object 260 to the reactor interface 240, and the compressive body 264 can include an annular cross-sectional shape (e.g., having a cross-section of a hollow circle). For example, the compressive body can be an elastic O-ring (“O-ring”). As another example, the compressive body can include an elastic washer (“washer”). However, the base 262 and the compressive body 264 can include any suitable geometry that can form a process gas containment seal that prevents process gases escaping from the reactor between the reactor frame and the reactor interface and into other areas of the deposition chamber system. Further details regarding shapes of the elastic object 260 are shown with reference to FIG. 6.

[0042] FIG. 3 is cross-sectional view of a deposition chamber system 300, in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, and as shown, the deposition chamber system 300 includes an ALD chamber system. However, the deposition chamber system 300 can include any suitable deposition chamber in accordance with the embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the deposition chamber system 300 includes a CVD chamber system.

[0043] As shown, the system 300 includes a susceptor 310, a substrate 315 disposed on the susceptor 310, a cathode 320, and a reactor area 330 between the susceptor 310 and the cathode 320. The susceptor 310, the substrate 315, the cathode 320 and the reactor area 330 are similar to the susceptor 110, the substrate 270, the cathode 120 and the reactor area 130, respectively, described above with reference to FIG. 1. The system 300 further includes a susceptor support component 305 underneath the susceptor 310 to provide support for the susceptor 310.

[0044] The system 100 further includes an upstream section 340 and a downstream section 350. Although the upstream section 340 is shown on the right side of the system 100 and the downstream section 350 is shown in the left side of the system 300, such an arrangement should not be considered limiting. [0045] Similar to the upstream section 140 and the downstream section 150 described above with reference to FIGs. 1-2B, the upstream section 340 is designed to support a process gas flow upstream into the reactor of the system 300 for the deposition process, and the downstream section 350 is designed to remove or evacuate remnants of the deposition process from the reactor. As will be described in further detail below with reference to FIGs. 4A-4C, an elastic object can be included in the upstream section 340 and the downstream section 350 to form respective process gas seals for preventing process gases from leaking out and damaging other components of the system 300. For example, the use of the elastic object within the upstream section 340 and/or the downstream section 350 can enable the implementations of respective flow guides with geometries to provide a simplified process gas flow path into or out of the reactor with lower risk of particle build up. Further details regarding the operation of the system from the perspective of the upstream section 340 will be described below with reference to FIGs. 4A-4C

[0046] FIGS. 4A-4C depict a process flow of an upstream section 400 of a deposition chamber, in accordance with some embodiments. Here, the upstream section 400 can correspond to the upstream section 340 described above with reference to FIG. 3. For example, as shown, the upstream section 400 can include portions of the susceptor support component 305, the susceptor 310, the substrate 315, the cathode 320, and the reactor area 330. The upstream section 400 can further include a flow guide 410, a first insulator 420, a second insulator 430, a reactor interface 440, a reactor frame 450, and an elastic object 460 having a first end corresponding to a base 462 and a second end corresponding to a compressive body 464. As further shown, the flow guide 410 and the reactor interface 440 collectively provide a path 415 for a process gas flow to be introduced into the reactor area 330. As will be described in further detail below, the elastic object 460 forms a process gas containment seal that prevents the leakage of the process gas flow, thereby protecting other components of the deposition chamber system from potential damage. As further shown, the upstream section 400 can further include a reactor frame support structure 470 configured to support one end of the reactor frame 450. The downstream section (e.g., downstream section 350 of FIG. 3) can also include a similar flow guide, first insulator, second insulator, reactor interface, the reactor frame 450, elastic object, and reactor frame support structure.

[0047] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of an example upstream section of a deposition chamber system at a disengaged position, in accordance with some embodiments. More specifically, the substrate 315 has been loaded onto the susceptor 310, but has not yet been loaded into the reactor. [0048] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of an example upstream section of a deposition chamber system during reactor loading, in accordance with some embodiments. More specifically, the substrate 315 is lifted by the susceptor 310 to come into contact with the reactor frame 450. The reactor frame 450 functions to secure the substrate 315 while in the reactor.

[0049] FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of an example upstream section of a deposition chamber system when the reactor is sealed to form a process gas containment seal 475, in accordance with some embodiments. More specifically, a deposition process is performed to deposit material (e.g., a film) on the substrate 315 by introducing a process gas flow 480 into the reactor. Additionally, plasma 490 can be introduced into the reactor to aid in the deposition process (e.g., plasma-enhanced ALD).

[0050] FIG. 5 depicts a flow chart of a method 500 for implementing a deposition chamber system, in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, the deposition chamber system includes an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system.

[0051] At block 502, a spacing is defined between a substrate and a cathode of a deposition chamber system. The spacing can be determined for a deposition process to be performed with respect to the substrate. For example, the spacing can be a target spacing within a range of possible spacings supported by the deposition chamber system.

[0052] At block 504, a substrate is placed on a susceptor of a deposition chamber system while a reactor frame of the deposition chamber system is in a disengaged position. For example, the substrate can be placed on the susceptor using a robot. The susceptor can be located at a first position relative to the reactor.

[0053] At block 506, the substrate is loaded into a reactor of the deposition chamber system to obtain an engaged reactor frame. During this time, the susceptor makes contact with the reactor frame.

[0054] At block 508, the susceptor is raised in view of the spacing until an elastic object is compressed between the engaged reactor frame and a reactor interface of the deposition chamber system to form a process gas containment seal corresponding to the spacing. The elastic object can have a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface, and a second end corresponding to a compressive body. The reactor interface can be an upstream reactor interface or a downstream reactor interface.

[0055] The susceptor raises the engaged reactor frame until the susceptor is at a second position corresponding to the spacing between the substrate and the cathode, where the second position is at some vertical distance from the first position that places the engaged reactor frame in sufficient contact with the compressive body to form the process gas containment seal. There is a correlation between the second position and the compressive force generated by the elastic object upon compression. Thus, since the second position corresponds to the spacing between the substrate and the cathode, the spacing between the substrate and the cathode can be used to define the compressive force as a target compressive force. The target compressive force can be below a first threshold force corresponding to a minimum compressive force for creating the process gas containment seal, and a second threshold force corresponding to a maximum compressive force that the elastic object can withstand before breaking or deteriorating.

[0056] At block 510, a deposition process is performed to deposit material on the substrate. The deposition process can be performed by introducing a process gas flow into the reactor. For example, the process gas flow can be introduced into the reactor using a downstream flow guide attached to the downstream reactor interface. The at least one elastic object remains compressed between the engaged reactor frame and the at least one reactor interface while the deposition process is being performed, thereby preventing process gases from escaping into other areas of the deposition chamber system.

[0057] At block 512, remnants are removed from the reactor after the deposition process is performed. The remnants can include residual process gases (e.g., unreacted process gases) and/or byproducts of the deposition process. For example, the remnants can be removed from the reactor after the deposition process is performed using a downstream flow guide attached to a downstream reactor interface. The elastic object remains compressed between the engaged reactor frame and the reactor interface while the remnants are being removed from the reactor, thereby preventing the remnants from escaping into other areas of the deposition chamber system.

[0058] At block 514, the substrate is removed from the deposition chamber system after the remnants are removed. Removing the substrate can include lowering the susceptor until the susceptor returns to the first position, and using a robot to remove the substrate after the susceptor returns to the first position. For example, the robot can be a vacuum robot. By lowering the susceptor, the elastic object is decompressed, which breaks the process gas containment seal. [0059] The method 500 can be repeated to deposit material on another substrate. For example, the method 500 can be repeated to deposit material on another substrate using a different deposition process. The different deposition process may be performed at a second spacing defined between the substrate and the cathode that is different from the previous deposition process. Thus, the second spacing can achieve a second target compressive force different from the previous target compressive force, but that is also in the range defined by the first threshold force and the second threshold force. Further details regarding blocks 502-514 are described above with reference to FIGs. 1-4C.

[0060] FIG. 6 is a diagram 600 of cross-sectional views of example elastic objects that can be used to form process containment seals within a deposition chamber system, in accordance with some embodiments. As one example, elastic object 610 can include a base 612 having a cross-sectional trapezoidal shape, and a compressive body 614 having a cross-sectional annular shape (e.g., O-ring). In alternative embodiments, the base 612 may have a rectangular shape, a circular shape, or some other shape. As another example, an elastic object 620 can include a base 622 having a cross-sectional trapezoidal shape, and a compressive body 624 having a cross- sectional symmetric forked tail shape. In alternative embodiments, the base 622 may have a rectangular shape, a circular shape, or some other shape. As another example, an elastic object 630 can have a base 632 and a compressive body 634 that collectively form a cross-sectional fin shape. In alternative embodiments, the base 632 may have a rectangular shape, a circular shape, or some other shape. It is to be understood and appreciated that the elastic objects 610-630 shown in FIG. 6 are purely exemplary, and other suitable elastic object shapes that can form process gas containment seals with deposition chamber systems (e.g., ALD chamber systems) are contemplated.

[0061] The preceding description sets forth numerous specific details such as examples of specific systems, components, methods, and so forth, in order to provide a good understanding of several embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that at least some embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known components or methods are not described in detail or are presented in simple block diagram format in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Thus, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. Particular implementations may vary from these exemplary details and still be contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention.

[0062] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. In addition, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” When the term “about” or “approximately” is used herein, this is intended to mean that the nominal value presented is precise within ±10%. [0063] Although the operations of the methods herein are shown and described in a particular order, the order of the operations of each method may be altered so that certain operations may be performed in an inverse order or so that certain operation may be performed, at least in part, concurrently with other operations. In another embodiment, instructions or suboperations of distinct operations may be in an intermittent and/or alternating manner.

[0064] It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other implementation examples will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. Although the present disclosure describes specific examples, it will be recognized that the systems and methods of the present disclosure are not limited to the examples described herein, but may be practiced with modifications within the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the present disclosure should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A deposition chamber system comprising: a reactor interface; a flow guide attached to the reactor interface, wherein the flow guide is one of an upstream flow guide to guide a process gas flow into a reactor for performing a deposition process with respect to a substrate loaded in the reactor, or a downstream flow guide to guide remnants out of the reactor after performing the deposition process; a reactor frame disposed underneath the reactor interface to secure a substrate; and an elastic object having a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a compressive body disposed above the reactor frame to form a process gas containment seal between the reactor interface and the reactor frame with a compressive force.

2. The deposition chamber system of claim 1, wherein the reactor frame comprises a shadow frame or mask frame.

3. The deposition chamber system of claim 1, wherein the deposition chamber system further comprises a susceptor to: receive the substrate prior to loading the substrate into the reactor; raise the substrate into the reactor to a second position above the first position for performing the deposition process; and after performing the deposition process, lower the substrate to the first position for removal.

4. The deposition chamber of claim 1, further comprising a cathode, wherein the compressive force corresponds to a target spacing between the substrate and the cathode during the deposition process, and wherein the target spacing defines the second position.

5. The deposition chamber of claim 1, wherein the compressive force is within a force range defined by a minimum compressive force to form the process gas containment seal and a maximum compressive force that the elastic object can withstand, and wherein the compressive force is a target compressive force for performing the deposition process.

6. The deposition chamber system of claim 1, wherein the geometry of the compressive body comprises a cross-sectional annular shape, a cross-sectional symmetric forked tail shape, or a cross-sectional fin shape.

7. The deposition chamber system of claim 1, further comprising: a second reactor interface; a second flow guide attached to the second reactor interface, wherein the second flow guide is one of the downstream flow guide or the upstream flow guide, and wherein the reactor frame is further disposed under the second reactor interface; and a second elastic object having a first end corresponding to a second base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a second compressive body disposed above the reactor frame to form a second process gas containment seal between the reactor interface and the reactor frame with a second compressive force.

8. The deposition chamber system of claim 7, wherein the first elastic object and the second elastic object are portions of a single elastic object.

9. The deposition chamber system of claim 1, wherein the deposition chamber system comprises an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system.

10. An apparatus comprising: a reactor interface of a deposition chamber system; and an elastic object having a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a compressive body to form a process gas containment seal with a compressive force between the reactor interface and a reactor frame disposed beneath the reactor interface to secure a substrate.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the geometry of the compressive body comprises a cross-sectional annular shape, a cross-sectional symmetric forked tail shape, or a cross- sectional fin shape.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the deposition chamber system comprises an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the compressive force corresponds to a target spacing between the substrate and a cathode of the deposition chamber system during the deposition process, and wherein the target spacing defines the second position.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the compressive force is within a force range defined by a minimum compressive force to form the process gas containment seal and a maximum compressive force that the elastic object can withstand, and wherein the compressive force is a target compressive force for performing the deposition process.

15. A method comprising: placing a substrate on a susceptor of a deposition chamber system while a reactor frame of the deposition chamber system is in a disengaged position, wherein the substrate is placed on the susceptor at a first position relative to the reactor; loading the substrate into a reactor of the deposition chamber system to obtain an engaged reactor frame; and raising the susceptor until an elastic objects is compressed between the engaged reactor frame and a reactor interface of the deposition chamber system to form a process gas containment seal, wherein the susceptor is raised to a second position above the first position corresponding to a spacing between the substrate and a cathode of the deposition chamber system, and wherein the elastic object has a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface, and a second end corresponding to a compressive body.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the deposition chamber system comprises an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising defining the spacing between the substrate and the cathode prior to placing the substrate on the susceptor, wherein the second position corresponds to the spacing.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising: performing a deposition process to deposit material on the substrate, wherein the elastic objects remains compressed between the engaged reactor frame and the reactor interface while the deposition process is being performed; and removing remnants from the reactor after performing the deposition process.

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19. The method of claim 18, further comprising removing the substrate from the deposition chamber system after the remnants are removed, wherein removing the substrate comprises lowering the susceptor from the second position to the first position.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: defining a second spacing between a second substrate and the cathode to perform a second deposition process different from the first deposition process; placing the second substrate on the susceptor while the reactor frame is at the first position; loading the second substrate into the reactor to obtain a second engaged reactor frame; and raising the susceptor until the elastic object is compressed between the second engaged reactor frame and the reactor interface to form a second process gas containment seal, wherein the susceptor is raised to a third position above the first position corresponding to the second spacing between the substrate and the reactor interface.

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