Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition chamber is described. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a first cleaning gas to a processing region within the chamber; and then providing a second cleaning gas to the processing region. In another embodiment, the method includes providing a substantially pure fluorine gas to a processing chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for supporting a substantial center portion of a gas distribution plate is disclosed. At least one support member is capable of engaging and disengaging the diffuser with a mating connection without prohibiting flow of a gas or gases through the diffuser and is designed to provide vertical suspension to a diffuser that is supported at its perimeter, or capable of supporting the diffuser without a perimeter support. In one aspect, the at least one support member is a portion of a gas delivery conduit and in another embodiment is a plurality of support members separated from the gas delivery conduit. The at least one support member is capable of translating vertical lift, or vertical compression to a center area of the diffuser. A method and apparatus for controlling gas flow from the gas delivery conduit to the gas distribution plate is also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus having a gradient spacing created between a substrate support assembly and a gas distribution plate for depositing a silicon film for solar cell applications are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus for depositing films for solar cell applications may include a processing chamber, a substrate support disposed in the processing chamber and configured to support a quadrilateral substrate thereon, and a gas distribution plate disposed in the processing chamber above the substrate support, wherein a bottom surface of the gas distribution plate has a perimeter that includes edges and corners, and wherein the corners of the gas distribution plate are closer to the substrate support than the edges of the gas distribution plate.

Abstract: We have discovered that adding H2 to a precursor gas composition including SiH4, NH3, and N2 is effective at improving the wet etch rate and the wet etch rate uniformity across the substrate surface of a-SiNx:H films which are deposited on a substrate by PECVD. Wet etch rate is an indication of film density. Typically, the lower the wet etch rate, the denser the film. The addition of H2 to the SiH4/NH3/N2 precursor gas composition did not significantly increase the variation in deposited film thickness across the surface of the substrate. The uniformity of the film across the substrate enables the production of flat panel displays having surface areas of 25,000 cm2 and larger.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for supporting a substantial center portion of a gas distribution plate is disclosed. At least one support member is capable of engaging and disengaging the diffuser with a mating connection without prohibiting flow of a gas or gasses through the diffuser and is designed to provide vertical suspension to a diffuser that is supported at its perimeter, or capable of supporting the diffuser without a perimeter support. In one aspect, the at least one support member is a portion of a gas delivery conduit and in another embodiment is a plurality of support members separated from the gas delivery conduit. The at least one support member is capable of translating vertical lift, or vertical compression to a center area of the diffuser. A method and apparatus for controlling gas flow from the gas delivery conduit to the gas distribution plate is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided. The chamber body comprises a chamber bottom and a sidewall having a slit valve. A substrate support comprising a support body is disposed in the chamber body. A first end of at least one wide RF ground strap is coupled with the support body and a second end of at least one RF ground strap is coupled with the chamber bottom. At least one extension bar is positioned along a peripheral edge of the support body. The method comprises providing a processing chamber having a slit valve and a substrate support, providing RF power to a distribution plate disposed over the substrate support, flowing gas through the distribution plate, plasma processing a substrate disposed on the substrate support, and reducing the generation of plasma adjacent to the slit valve.

Abstract: A method of PECVD deposition of silicon-containing films has been discovered and further developed. The method is particularly useful when the films are deposited on substrates having surface areas which are larger than 25,000 cm2. The method prevents the deposition of partially reacted silicon-containing species which form a powdery material or haze (contaminant compound) on the substrate surface. The contaminant compounds are avoided by assuring that the power applied to form a plasma in the PECVD process is maintained, at least at a minimal level, until reactive silicon-containing precursor gases present above the surface of the substrate have been reacted or evacuated from the plasma processing area.

Abstract: Abnormal conditions within an RF-powered plasma process chamber are detected by detecting whether the frequency of a variable-frequency RF power supply moves outside established lower and upper limits. In a first aspect, a first pair of lower and upper limits are established as a function of the frequency of the power supply sampled after a new process step begins or after a sample control signal changes state. In a second aspect, a second pair of lower and upper limits are not adapted to the frequency of the power supply. Both aspects preferably are used together to detect different occurrences of abnormal conditions.

Abstract: A method for preventing particle contamination within a processing chamber is disclosed. Preheating the substrate within the processing chamber may cause a thermophoresis effect so that particles within the chamber that are not adhered to a surface may not come to rest on the substrate. One method to increase the substrate temperature is to plasma load the substrate. Plasma loading comprises providing an inert gas plasma to the substrate to heat the substrate. Another method to increase the substrate temperature is high pressure loading the substrate. High pressure loading comprises heating the substrate while increasing the chamber pressure to between about 1 Torr and about 10 Torr. By rapidly increasing the substrate temperature within the processing chamber prior to substrate processing, particle contamination is less likely to occur.

Abstract: A method of reducing the amount of particulates generated from the surface of a processing component used during plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of thin films. The body of the processing component comprises an aluminum alloy, and an exterior surface of said processing component is texturized to increase the amount of surface area present on the exterior surface. The texturizing process includes at least one step in which the surface to be texturized is bead blasted or chemically grained, so that the surface roughness of the texturized surface ranges from about 50 ?-inch Ra to about 1,000 ?-inch Ra.

Abstract: A method of depositing a gate dielectric layer for a thin film transistor is provided. The gate dielectric layer is deposited using a plasma enhanced deposition with a gas mixture comprising a silicon and chlorine containing compound.

Abstract: We have developed a method of PECVD depositing a-SiNx:H films which are useful in a TFT device as gate dielectric and passivation layers, when a series of TFT devices are arrayed over a substrate having a surface area larger than about 1 m2, which may be in the range of about 4.1 m2, and even as large as 9 m2. The a-SiNx:H films provide a uniformity of film thickness and uniformity of film properties, including chemical composition, which are necessary over such large substrate surface areas. The films produced by the method are useful for both liquid crystal active matrix displays and for organic light emitting diode control.

Abstract: A method of film layer deposition is described. A film layer is deposited using a cyclical deposition process. The cyclical deposition process consists essentially of a continuous flow of one or more process gases and the alternate pulsing of a precursor and energy to form a film on a substrate structure.

Abstract: A substrate support and method for fabricating the same are provided. In one embodiment of the invention, a substrate support includes an electrically conductive body having a substrate support surface that is covered by an electrically insulative coating. At least a portion of the coating centered on the substrate support surface has a surface finish of between about 80 to about 200 micro-inches. In another embodiment, a substrate support includes an anodized aluminum body having a surface finish on the portion of the body adapted to support a substrate thereon of between about 80 to about 200 micro-inches.

Abstract: A method of depositing a gate dielectric layer for a thin film transistor is provided. The gate dielectric layer is deposited using a plasma enhanced deposition with a gas mixture comprising a silicon and chlorine containing compound.

Abstract: A cluster tool for forming a poly-Si layer on a substrate comprises (i) a first chamber for depositing silicon onto the substrate to form an a-Si layer on the substrate, (ii) a second chamber for depositing onto the a-Si layer a metal that is capable of inducing nucleation sites in a-Si, and (iii) a third chamber for annealing the &agr;-Si layer, thereby forming the poly-Si layer on the substrate. In one embodiment, the second chamber is a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reactor that includes an upper electrode. An outer surface of the upper electrode is made of a metal that is capable of inducing the nucleation sites. In this embodiment, the metal is deposited onto the substrate from the upper electrode when a plasma is generated between the upper electrode and a lower electrode in the PECVD reactor, thereby causing deposition of the metal onto the substrate.

Abstract: A method of film layer deposition is described. A film layer is deposited using a cyclical deposition process. The cyclical deposition process consists essentially of a continuous flow of one or more process gases and the alternate pulsing of a precursor and energy to form a film on a substrate structure.