US 11,702,749 B2
Methods and apparatus for microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition reactors
Jes Asmussen, East Lansing, MI (US); Jing Lu, East Lansing, MI (US); Yajun Gu, Boise, ID (US); and Shreya Nad, Hillsboro, OR (US)
Assigned to BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, East Lansing, MI (US)
Filed by BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, East Lansing, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 2, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/700,046.
Application 16/700,046 is a continuation of application No. 15/313,250, granted, now 10,494,719, previously published as PCT/US2015/032177, filed on May 22, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/002,539, filed on May 23, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2020/0216960 A1, Jul. 9, 2020
Int. Cl. C23C 16/00 (2006.01); C23C 16/511 (2006.01); C23C 16/27 (2006.01); C23C 16/52 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 16/511 (2013.01) [C23C 16/274 (2013.01); C23C 16/52 (2013.01); H01J 37/32192 (2013.01); H01J 37/32256 (2013.01); H01J 37/32926 (2013.01); H01J 2237/3321 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for depositing a component on a substrate, the process comprising:
(a) providing a microwave plasma assisted reactor comprising:
(i) a first microwave chamber having a reference plane at a reference axial location Z0, the first microwave chamber extending in an axial direction z>Z0 and comprising (A) an electromagnetic wave source and (B) an upper conducting short in electrical contact with the first microwave chamber and disposed in an upper portion of the first microwave chamber at an axial distance Ls above Z0, the upper conducting short having a central opening and defining an upper boundary of the first microwave chamber,
(ii) a plasma chamber having an outer wall, the plasma chamber extending into the first microwave chamber such that at least a portion of the plasma chamber is located at z>Z0, and
(iii) a conductive stage for supporting a substrate, the conductive stage having an axially adjustable reference surface extending into the plasma chamber at an axial distance Zs relative to Z0;
(b) selecting a deposition process controlled variable selected from the group consisting of substrate temperature Ts, plasma discharge volume Vd, plasma discharge position rd, plasma discharge absorbed power density <Pabs>, and combinations thereof;
(c) selecting a deposition process manipulated variable selected from the group consisting of reactor pressure pr, substrate position Zs, incident power Pinc, and combinations thereof;
(d) performing an initial coarse tuning process to reduce a power reflection coefficient R defined as a ratio of reflected power Pref, to the incident power Pinc (Pref/Pinc) to 0.5 or less;
(e) operating the reactor at a pressure ranging from about 10 Torr to about 760 Torr to deposit a component on a substrate supported on the conductive stage, wherein the power reflection coefficient R is 0.1 or less during deposition of the component; and
(f) during part (e), adjusting the manipulated variable to maintain the controlled variable within a predetermined range relative to a setpoint for the controlled variable, while maintaining the power reflection coefficient R to be 0.1 or less during deposition of the component, wherein adjusting the manipulated variable in part (f) comprises performing a real-time control process comprising:
(i) measuring an instantaneous value of the controlled variable in real-time,
(ii) adjusting the manipulated variable in real-time to minimize an error function based on the difference between the instantaneous value of the controlled variable and the setpoint of the controlled variable, and
(iii) repeating (i)-(ii) of the control process.