Apparatus and method for depositing a layer onto a substrate

• Main Authors: SVEN UWE RIESCHL, MOHAMED ELGHAZZALI, JA¼RGEN WEICHART
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.07.2012
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY IONIMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; METALLURGY; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION

Apparatus for depositing a layer on a substrate in a process gas comprises a chuck 3 comprising a first surface 14 for support­ing the substrate 2, a clamp 4 for securing the substrate 2 to the first surface 14 of the chuck 3, an evacuatable enclosure enclosing the chuck 3 and the clamp 4 and comprising an inlet, through which the processing gas is provided into the enclosure, and con­trol apparatus; the control apparatus is adapted to move at least one of the chuck 3 and the clamp 4 relative to and inde­pendently of one another to adjust a spacing between the chuck 3 and the clamp 4 during a single deposition process whilst maintaining a flow of the processing gas and a pressure within the enclosure that is less than atmospheric pressure. Also disclosed is a method using the above apparatus wherein a first layer is deposited onto the substrate 2 while the clamp 4 is spaced apart from the substrate 2, then subsequently bringing the clamp 4 into contact with the substrate 2 while maintaining the supply of processing gas into the chamber.