阅读说明：本技术 用于在基板上形成膜的方法及系统 (Method and system for forming a film on a substrate ) 是由 亚历山大·N·勒纳 罗伊·沙威 普拉沙斯·科斯努 萨蒂什·拉德哈基什南 车小洲 于 2020-04-21 设计创作，主要内容包括：本案描述的一个或多个实施方式大体上关于用于在半导体工艺中在基板上形成膜的方法和系统。在本案描述的实施方式中,处理系统包括各自包含在各别的安瓿中的不同材料。每种材料都经由加热的气体管线流入包含在处理腔室内的喷淋头的个别的部分。每种材料都从喷淋头流到位于旋转基座的表面上的基板上。控制从喷淋头流出的质量流率与基座的转速,有助于将具有所需材料微区尺寸的膜沉积在基板上。(One or more embodiments described herein relate generally to methods and systems for forming films on substrates in semiconductor processing. In embodiments described herein, the processing system includes different materials that are each contained in a respective ampoule. Each material flows via heated gas lines into a separate section of a showerhead contained within the process chamber. Each material flows from the showerhead onto a substrate located on the surface of the spin base. Controlling the mass flow rate from the showerhead and the rotational speed of the susceptor facilitates deposition of a film having a desired material domain size on the substrate.)

1. A method of forming a film on a substrate, comprising:

controlling a temperature of each of a plurality of ampoules and a pressure in a processing space of each of the plurality of ampoules, wherein,

a different material is disposed within the processing space of each of the plurality of ampoules,

the processing volume of each of the plurality of ampoules is in fluid communication with one of a plurality of portions of a showerhead coupled to a processing volume of a processing chamber, and

the controlled temperature is set to cause each of the different materials to vaporize within each of the processing spaces and flow to one of the plurality of portions of the showerhead;

controlling a flow rate of each of the different materials from each of the plurality of portions of the showerhead into the processing volume of the processing chamber by controlling a temperature of each of the plurality of portions of the showerhead;

controlling a pressure within the processing chamber; and

controlling a rotational speed of a substrate disposed on a pedestal within the processing volume of the processing chamber, wherein the rotating substrate is exposed to a flow of a different material provided from each of the plurality of portions of the showerhead.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlled temperature of each of the plurality of ampoules is different.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the controlled temperature of each of the plurality of ampoules is substantially the same.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlled flow rate of each of the different materials from each of the plurality of sections of the showerhead is different.

5. A method of forming a film on a substrate, comprising:

controlling a temperature of a first ampoule and a pressure within a processing volume of the first ampoule, wherein

A first material is disposed within the processing volume of the first ampoule,

the processing volume of the first ampoule is in fluid communication with a first portion of a plurality of portions of a showerhead, the first portion is coupled to a processing volume of a processing chamber, and

the controlled temperature is configured to cause the first material to vaporize within the processing volume and flow to the first portion of the showerhead;

controlling a temperature of a second ampoule and a pressure within a processing volume of the second ampoule, wherein

A second material is disposed within the processing volume of the second ampoule,

the processing volume of the second ampoule is in fluid communication with a second portion of the plurality of portions of the showerhead, the second portion is coupled to the processing volume of the processing chamber, and

the controlled temperature is set to cause the second material to vaporize within the processing volume and flow to the second portion of the showerhead;

controlling a flow rate of the first material from the first portion of the showerhead into the processing volume of the processing chamber by controlling a temperature of the first portion of the plurality of portions of the showerhead;

controlling a flow rate of the second material from the second portion of the showerhead into the processing volume of the processing chamber by controlling a temperature of the second portion of the plurality of portions of the showerhead;

controlling a pressure within the processing chamber;

controlling a rotational speed of a substrate disposed on a pedestal within the processing volume of the processing chamber, wherein the rotating substrate is simultaneously or sequentially exposed to a flow of the first and second materials provided from the first and second portions of the plurality of portions of the showerhead.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the controlled temperature of each of the first and second ampoules is different.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the controlled temperature of each of the first and second ampoules is substantially the same.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the pressure within the processing chamber is controlled to be about 1 x 10^-8Torr and about 1X 10^-5Torr.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the controlled rotational speed of the base is between about 0RPM and about 200 RPM.

10. A processing system for forming a film on a substrate, comprising:

a plurality of ampoules;

a process chamber, comprising:

a showerhead, wherein the showerhead comprises a plurality of sections; and

a base;

a plurality of delivery lines, wherein each delivery line of the plurality of delivery lines is connected from one of the plurality of ampoules to one of the plurality of portions of the showerhead; and

a controller configured to regulate operation of the processing system, wherein the controller comprises a memory containing instructions for execution on a processor, the instructions comprising:

controlling a temperature of each of the plurality of ampoules and a pressure within a processing space of each of the plurality of ampoules, wherein,

a different material is disposed within the processing space of each of the plurality of ampoules,

the processing volume of each of the plurality of ampoules is in fluid communication with one of the plurality of portions of the showerhead coupled to a processing volume of the processing chamber, and

the controlled temperature is set to cause each of the different materials to vaporize within each of the processing spaces and flow to one of the plurality of portions of the showerhead;

controlling a flow rate of each of the different materials from each of the plurality of portions of the showerhead into the processing volume of the processing chamber by controlling a temperature of each of the plurality of portions of the showerhead;

controlling a pressure within the processing chamber; and

controlling a rotational speed of a substrate disposed on a pedestal within the processing volume of the processing chamber, wherein the rotating substrate is exposed to a flow of a different material provided from each of the plurality of portions of the showerhead.

11. The processing system of claim 10, wherein the controlled temperature of each of the plurality of ampoules is different.

12. The processing system of claim 10, wherein the controlled flow rate of each of the different materials from each of the plurality of portions of the showerhead is different.

13. The processing system of claim 12, wherein the controlled flow rate of each of the different materials from each of the plurality of portions of the showerhead is substantially the same.

14. The processing system of claim 10, wherein the pressure within the processing chamber is controlled to be about 1 x 10^-8Torr and about 1X 10^-5Torr.

15. The processing system of claim 10, wherein the controlled rotational speed of the pedestal is between about 0RPM and about 200 RPM.

Technical Field

One or more embodiments described herein relate generally to semiconductor processing and, more particularly, to methods and systems for forming films on substrates in semiconductor processing.

Background

Organic vapor deposition is becoming increasingly important in the construction of semiconductor devices and other optical devices. Vapor deposition processes typically include heating a material maintained at a desired pressure to a desired temperature to vaporize the heated material, followed by allowing transfer to a substrate, wherein the vaporized material condenses on a surface of the substrate. Organic vapor deposition is commonly used to form CMOS image sensors. However, organic vapor deposition can also be used to form Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), organic photodetectors, solar cells, and other similar devices. These devices are used to make television screens, computer monitors, mobile phones, and other hand-held devices for displaying information. OLED displays can have a greater range of colors, brightness, and viewing angles than conventional LED displays because the OLED pixels emit light directly and do not require backlighting, thus reducing the power consumption of the resulting device. Furthermore, OLEDs can be fabricated on flexible substrates, and thus can also be applied to other devices.

While these devices are useful, many challenges are encountered in the manufacture of such display devices. In order to efficiently manufacture the stack, co-deposition of materials is required. When co-depositing materials onto a substrate, the positioning of the materials on the substrate surface is important to ensure that the resulting film layer on the substrate is capable of forming a functional device. Without control over the positioning of the materials, the resulting deposited materials within the formed layers may form undesirable domain sizes and morphologies, thereby impeding charge separation and extraction in organic electronic devices. In some device configurations, it is desirable to deposit materials onto a substrate such that multiple materials are mixed within a single formed layer, or multiple materials form a superlattice structure. However, conventional vapor deposition processes are not capable of reliably forming these types of layers or composite layers comprising multiple materials.

Therefore, there is a need for a method of forming a resulting film having a desired mixing ratio, domain size and morphology when co-depositing multiple materials on a substrate.

Disclosure of Invention

One or more embodiments described herein relate generally to a method of forming a film on a substrate in a semiconductor process.

In one embodiment, a method of forming a film on a substrate includes: controlling a temperature of each of a plurality of ampoules and a pressure in a processing volume of each of the plurality of ampoules, wherein a different material is disposed within the processing volume of each of the plurality of ampoules, the processing volume of each of the plurality of ampoules being in fluid communication with one of a plurality of portions of a showerhead coupled to the processing volume of the processing chamber, and the controlled temperature is set to vaporize each of the different materials within each processing volume and flow to one of the plurality of portions of the showerhead; controlling a flow rate of each of the different materials from each of the plurality of portions of the showerhead into the processing volume of the processing chamber by controlling a temperature of each of the plurality of portions of the showerhead; controlling a pressure within the processing chamber; and controlling a rotational speed of a substrate disposed on a susceptor within a processing volume of the processing chamber, wherein the rotating substrate is exposed to a flow of a different material provided from each of the plurality of portions of the showerhead.

In another embodiment, a method of forming a film on a substrate includes: controlling a temperature of the first ampoule and a pressure within a processing volume of the first ampoule, wherein the first material is disposed within the processing volume of the first ampoule, the processing volume of the first ampoule is in fluid communication with a first portion of the plurality of portions of the showerhead, the first portion is coupled to the processing volume of the processing chamber, and the controlled temperature is configured to cause the first material to vaporize within the processing volume and flow to the first portion of the showerhead; controlling a temperature of a second ampoule and a pressure within a processing volume of the second ampoule, wherein a second material is disposed within the processing volume of the second ampoule, the processing volume of the second ampoule is in fluid communication with a second portion of the plurality of portions of the showerhead, the second portion is coupled to the processing volume of the processing chamber, and the controlled temperature is configured to cause the second material to vaporize within the processing volume and flow to the second portion of the showerhead; controlling a flow rate of a first material from a first portion of a showerhead into a processing volume of a processing chamber by controlling a temperature of the first portion of the plurality of portions of the showerhead; controlling a flow rate of the second material from the second portion of the showerhead into the processing volume of the processing chamber by controlling a temperature of the second portion of the plurality of portions of the showerhead; controlling a pressure within the processing chamber; controlling a rotational speed of a substrate disposed on a susceptor within a processing volume of a processing chamber, wherein the rotating substrate is simultaneously or sequentially exposed to a flow of a first material and a second material provided from a first portion and a second portion of a plurality of portions of a showerhead.

One or more embodiments described herein relate generally to a processing system for forming a film on a substrate in a semiconductor process.

In one embodiment, a processing system for forming a film on a substrate includes: a plurality of ampoules; a process chamber, comprising: a showerhead, wherein the showerhead comprises a plurality of sections; and a base; a plurality of delivery lines, wherein each delivery line of the plurality of delivery lines is connected from one of the plurality of ampoules to one of the plurality of sections of the showerhead; and a controller configured to regulate operation of the processing system, wherein the controller includes a memory containing instructions for execution on the processor, the instructions including: controlling a temperature of each of the plurality of ampoules and a pressure within the processing volume of each of the plurality of ampoules, wherein a different material is disposed within the processing volume of each of the plurality of ampoules, the processing volume of each of the plurality of ampoules being in fluid communication with one of the plurality of portions of the showerhead, the one of the plurality of portions of the showerhead being coupled to the processing volume of the processing chamber, and the controlled temperature being set to cause each of the different materials to vaporize within each of the processing volumes and flow to the one of the plurality of portions of the showerhead; controlling a flow rate of each of the different materials from each of the plurality of sections of the showerhead into the processing volume of the processing chamber by controlling a temperature of each of the plurality of sections of the showerhead; controlling a pressure within the processing chamber; and controlling a rotational speed of a substrate disposed on a pedestal within a processing volume of the processing chamber, wherein the rotating substrate is exposed to a flow of a different material provided from each of a plurality of portions of the showerhead.

Drawings

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a processing system according to at least one embodiment described herein;

FIG. 2 is a bottom isometric view of the showerhead shown in FIG. 1 according to at least one embodiment described herein;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method according to at least one embodiment described herein; and

fig. 4A-4B are schematic views of a processing chamber after performing the method shown in fig. 3 according to some embodiments described herein.

Detailed Description

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in order to avoid obscuring one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

One or more embodiments described herein relate generally to methods and systems for forming films on substrates in one or more deposition processes. In the embodiments described herein, the processing system includes different vaporizable materials, each contained in a separate ampoule. Each vaporizable material flows through a heated gas line into a separate portion of a showerhead contained within the process chamber. Each material is directed from a showerhead onto a substrate located on the surface of a rotating pedestal. Controlling the process parameters of the processing system as the materials flow from the ampoule to the substrate may result in multiple materials being mixed in a single layer being formed or multiple materials forming a superlattice structure. By controlling the process parameters, the relative composition of the formed layers, including the various deposition materials, may also be achieved.

In the embodiments described herein, some of the parameters that affect the composition of the resulting film across the substrate surface are the mass flow rate out of the showerhead, the temperature of the substrate, and the rotational speed of the susceptor. Some factors that determine the mass flow rate from the showerhead are the temperature of the ampoule connected to the showerhead, the temperature gradient created in the fluid delivery system extending from the ampoule to the showerhead, the temperature of the showerhead, the flow restrictions created by the openings in each showerhead section, the manner in which materials in different sections of the processing system (e.g., molecular flow), and the pressure of the processing chamber in which the substrate is located during processing. Controlling the mass flow rate and the rotational speed of the susceptor results in a deposition process that is capable of forming a film having a desired composition on the substrate surface. In this way, the resulting film has the desired domain size and morphology, thereby solving the problem of resulting films having undesirable domain sizes and morphologies that interfere with charge separation and extraction in organic electronic devices.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a processing system 100 according to at least one embodiment described herein. The processing system 100 includes a process chamber 102. The process chamber 102 is defined by sidewalls 104, a bottom 106, and a top 108, forming a process volume 110. The process chamber 102 is configured to process a substrate, such as a substrate 114, within the process volume 110 of the process chamber 102. The substrate 114 is supported by a pedestal 112 disposed in the process chamber 102. A mask 113 having an opening is placed over the substrate 114. The mask 113 is placed so that the material flows onto separate areas of the substrate 114 to form suitable devices. In some embodiments, the process chamber 102 may be a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) chamber, an Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) chamber, or a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) chamber configured to perform process material deposition, such as organic vapor deposition in accordance with the present disclosure. However, other chambers may be used and modified in accordance with the teachings provided herein.

In some embodiments, a layer of material (not shown), or a derivative thereof, may be formed, condensed, or deposited on the substrate 114 by a deposition process by separately controlling the mass flow rate of each material, where each material requires a different evaporation temperature. Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure cannot be vaporized by conventional showerheads. In some embodiments, some of the material combinations used may be CuPc: a C60 mixture; and (3) CBP: ir (ppy)3 mixtures; MoO 3: an Ag mixture; distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) superlattice structures (e.g., MgF2/SiOx pairs), and/or other similar combinations. However, in the embodiments described herein, a showerhead 116 is provided that includes a first portion 122, a second portion 130, a third portion 166, and a fourth portion 168. Although four sections are shown in fig. 1, other showerheads including any number of sections may be provided. Using multiple parts, the showerhead 116 is configured to deposit multiple process materials to form a desired film on the substrate 114, as will be described in more detail below.

As shown in fig. 1, the processing system 100 includes a first ampoule 118, a second ampoule 126, a third ampoule 174, and a fourth ampoule 176. A first material 162 is contained within the processing volume of first ampoule 118, a second material 164 is contained within the processing volume of second ampoule 126, a third material 178 is contained within the processing volume of third ampoule 174, and a fourth material 180 is contained within the processing volume of fourth ampoule 176. The first ampoule 118 delivers the first material 162 to the first portion 122 of the showerhead 116 via a first delivery line 120, the second ampoule 126 delivers the second material 162 to the second portion 130 of the showerhead 116 via a second delivery line 128, the third ampoule 174 delivers the third material 178 to the third portion 166 of the showerhead via a third delivery line 171, and the fourth ampoule 176 delivers the fourth material 180 to the fourth portion 168 of the showerhead 116 via a fourth delivery line 173. Although four ampoules are shown in fig. 1, other embodiments may include any number of ampoules, each containing its own treatment material, and each delivering treatment material to an individual portion of the showerhead (e.g., the showerhead may contain as many individual portions as there are different materials provided). Additionally, in other embodiments, two opposing portions of the showerhead 116 may be connected to the same ampoule to deposit the same material. Although not shown in fig. 1, in one example, the first portion 122 and the third portion 166 of the showerhead 116 may be connected to the same ampoule, such as the first ampoule 118, via the first delivery line 120 to deposit the first material 162 on the substrate. In this example, the second portion 130 and the fourth portion 168 may be connected to the second ampoule 126 via the second delivery line 128 to deposit the second material 162 on the substrate.

In these embodiments, the temperature in the processing system 100 is controlled by heating elements contained in different parts of the system. For example, in some embodiments, the first transfer line 120 is heated by the first transfer line heating element 124, the second transfer line 128 is heated by the second heating element 132, the third transfer line 171 is heated by the third transfer line heating element 170, and the fourth transfer line 173 is heated by the fourth transfer line heating element 172. Each of the first, second, third and fourth transfer line heating elements 124, 132, 170 and 172 help to heat the first, second, third and fourth transfer lines 120, 128, 171 and 172, respectively, preventing unwanted condensation. Similarly, first ampoule 118 is heated by first ampoule heating element 149, second ampoule 126 is heated by second ampoule heating element 150, third ampoule 174 is heated by third ampoule heating element 182, and fourth ampoule 176 is heated by fourth ampoule heating element 184. Likewise, the first portion 122 of the showerhead 116 is heated by the first portion heating element 138, the second portion 130 of the showerhead 116 is heated by the second portion heating element 148, the third portion 166 of the showerhead 116 is heated by the third portion heating element 167, and the fourth portion 168 of the showerhead 116 is heated by the fourth portion heating element 169. Controlling the temperature of all of the different portions of the processing system 100 may be used to control the mass flow rate of all of the different portions of the processing system 100. As the temperature increases, the flow rate of vaporized material in the open system increases due to the decrease in density of the vaporized material. As the temperature decreases, the flow rate decreases due to an increase in the density of the vaporized material. In the embodiments described herein, the mass flow rate may be controlled without the use of a carrier gas. However, in other embodiments, a carrier gas may optionally be provided.

In some embodiments, the pressure in the processing system is controlled by a vacuum pump 142 and a valve 144. The vacuum pump 142 is used to remove process gases and air from the processing system 100. A vacuum pump 142 is connected to the process chamber 102 and reduces the pressure within the process chamber 102 when a valve 144 is opened. In some configurations, the cold trap 101 is used to capture unreacted precursor material before it enters the vacuum pump 142. In some embodiments, vacuum pump 142 is also connected to each transfer line 120, 128, 171, and 173 through one or more bypass valves 146.

In some embodiments, each transfer line 120, 128, 171, and 173 has a dedicated shut-off valve, shown in fig. 1 as a plurality of shut-off valves 147. In general, the shut-off valves 147 are each used to control which of the materials 162, 164, 178, 180, respectively, flows from the ampoules 118, 126, 174, 176 into each of the portions 122, 130, 166, 168 of the showerhead 116. For example, two of the shut-off valves 147 may be closed and two of the shut-off valves may be opened, thereby preventing the materials 162 and 180 from flowing into the showerhead 116 and only allowing the materials 164 and 178 to flow into the showerhead 116. In another example, one of the shut-off valves 147 may be opened while all other valves 147 are closed, allowing only the material 162 to flow into the showerhead 116. In another example, three of the shut-off valves 147 may be opened, thereby allowing the flow of materials 162, 178, and 180 to flow into the showerhead 116, and thereby preventing the second material 164 from flowing into the showerhead 116. In some cases, it may be desirable to close all of the shut-off valves 147 to prevent all of the materials 162, 164, 178, 180 from flowing into the showerhead 116 so that substrates may be transferred into or out of the processing volume 110, or certain maintenance activities may be performed on the processing chamber. In other embodiments, all of the shut-off valves 147 may be opened, allowing all of the materials 162, 164, 178, 180 to flow into the showerhead 116.

As described above, each transfer line 120, 128, 171, and 173 has a dedicated bypass valve 146, the bypass valve 146 allowing each respective transfer line to communicate directly with the vacuum pump 142. The shut-off valve 146 allows for the removal of vaporized materials 162, 164, 178, 180 from the portions 122, 130, 166, and 168, respectively, of the showerhead 116. Controlling which materials 162, 164, 178, 180 are removed from the showerhead 116 advantageously allows the deposition process to be quickly started and stopped, thereby preventing the formation of residues on the substrate. For example, one of the bypass valves 146 may be opened to allow residual material 164 in a portion of the second delivery line 128 and in the second portion 130 of the showerhead to be removed and provided to the vacuum pump 142. In another example, two of the bypass valves 146 are opened to allow residual materials 162 and 178 found in the portions of the first and third transfer lines 120 and 171, respectively, and the first and third portions 122 and 166 of the showerhead, respectively, to be removed and provided to the vacuum pump 142. In another example, all of the bypass valves 146 may be closed, thereby preventing all of the materials 162, 164, 178, 180 from flowing out of the showerhead 116. In another example, all of the bypass valves 146 may be opened, allowing all of the materials 162, 164, 178, 180 to be removed from the showerhead and delivery lines and provided to the vacuum pump 142.

Optionally, in some embodiments, a first push gas source assembly 160, a second push gas source assembly 154, a third push gas source assembly 190, and a fourth push gas source assembly 192 are provided to assist in delivering vaporized material to the processing volume of the processing system 100. When the valve 156 is opened, the first push gas source assembly 160 delivers a first push gas (e.g., an inert gas, such as Ar, N) via the first delivery line 120₂He). When the valve 152 is opened, the second motive gas source assembly 154 delivers a second motive gas (e.g., an inert gas, such as Ar, N) via the second delivery line 128₂He). When valve 186 is open, third motive gas source assembly 190 delivers a third motive gas (e.g., an inert gas, e.g., Ar, N) via third delivery line 171₂He). When the valve 188 is open, the fourth gas source assembly 192 delivers a fourth motive gas (e.g., an inert gas, such as Ar, N) via the fourth delivery line 173₂、He)。

In one example of a process for depositing a film using a portion of the fluid delivery system, the first ampoule 118, the delivery line 120, and the portion 122 of the showerhead are each heated to a desired temperature when the shut-off valve 147 attached to the delivery line 120 is in an initial closed state and the bypass valve 146 connected to the delivery line 120 is closed. At this stage, the pressure in ampoule 118, delivery line 120, and process volume 110 is pumped down to a high equilibrium pressure. The desired temperature of the first ampoule 118, the delivery line 120, and the portion 122 of the showerhead includes a temperature that vaporizes the first material 162 and maintains a gaseous state in the delivery line 120. To begin the deposition process, a shut-off valve 147 attached to the delivery line 120 is opened and a bypass valve 146 connected to the delivery line 120 is kept closed, thereby allowing vaporized material to flow into the portion 122 of the showerhead and onto the substrate 114 disposed in the processing volume. After the desired time has elapsed, the stop valve 147 attached to the delivery line 120 is closed and the bypass valve 146 connected to the delivery line 120 is opened to allow residual material 162 found in the portion of the first delivery line 120 and in the first portion 122 of the showerhead to be removed and provided to the vacuum pump 142. In some cases, the first delivery line 120 and the first portion 122 of the showerhead are preferably purged with an inert gas provided from a gas source 160 prior to closing the shut-off valve 147 and opening the bypass valve 146.

In these embodiments, the base 112 is configured to rotate as indicated by arrow 134 in fig. 1. As will be described further below, the susceptor 112 is controlled to rotate at a speed such that a desired deposited film result is obtained on the surface of the substrate 114. The deposited materials within the formed layers may form a suitable device, such as an OLED, photodetector, solar cell, or other optical device. Controlling the rotational speed of the pedestal 112 solves the problem of resulting films having undesirable domain sizes and morphologies that interfere with charge separation and extraction in organic electronic devices.

As mentioned above, some of the parameters that affect the size of the region formed within the resulting film are: the mass flow rate from the showerhead 116, the pressure within the process volume 110, and the rotational speed of the pedestal 112. Some of the factors that determine the mass flow rate of material flowing from the showerhead 116 are: the temperature of each of the first, second, third, and fourth portions 122, 130, 166, 168 of the showerhead 116; the flow rate of the material delivered to each of the first, second, third, and fourth portions 122, 130, 166, 168 of the showerhead 116; flow conditions (e.g., molecular flow) within the material transport component; the temperature of each of the first ampoule 118, the second ampoule 126, the third ampoule 174, and the fourth ampoule 176; a temperature gradient from each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176 to the showerhead 116; and the pressure of the process chamber 102. Controlling these factors determines the deposition rate of the material to form a film of the desired composition on the surface of the substrate 114.

In some embodiments, each of the above factors may be controlled by the controller 136. The controller 136 communicates with the hardware contained throughout the processing system 100, including the hardware contained within the process chamber 102. The controller 136 may include a Central Processing Unit (CPU)136A, a memory 136B, and support circuits (or I/O) 136C. The CPU 136A may be one of any form of computer processor used in an industrial setting for controlling various processes and hardware (e.g., motors, valves, power delivery components, and other related hardware) and monitoring processes (e.g., processing time and substrate positioning or position). The memory 136B is connected to the CPU 136A and may be one or more of readily available memory such as Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), floppy disk, hard disk, or any other form of digital storage, local or remote. Software instructions, algorithms, and data may be encoded and stored in memory 136B for instructing CPU 136A. Support circuits 136C are also connected to the CPU 136A for supporting the processor in a conventional manner. The support circuits 136C may include conventional cache, power supplies, clock circuits, input/output circuitry, subsystems, and the like. The program (or computer instructions) readable by the controller determines which tasks are executable in the processing system 100. The program may be software readable by the controller 136 and may include code to monitor and control parameters that determine, for example, the mass flow rate from the showerhead 116 and the rotational speed of the pedestal 112, as further described below with respect to fig. 3.

Fig. 2 illustrates a bottom isometric view of a showerhead assembly 200 according to at least one embodiment described herein. As shown, the showerhead 116 includes a plurality of portions including a first portion 122, a second portion 130, a third portion 166, and a fourth portion 168. The multiple portions 122, 130, 166, and 168 may be coplanar and together form the showerhead 116 having a circular shape. In some embodiments, the showerhead is about 300mm to about 500mm in diameter. In some embodiments, the showerhead diameter corresponds to the diameter of the substrate 114. In some embodiments, the plurality of portions may include three portions. In some embodiments, the plurality of portions may include six portions. The plurality of portions 122, 130, 166, and 168 are arranged such that there is a gap 246 between each portion. The spaced relationship between the portions 122, 130, 166, and 168 advantageously reduces or prevents thermal cross-talk between each portion prior to exiting into the process chamber 102.

In some embodiments, the showerhead assembly 200 includes a showerhead 116 mounted to a cover plate 210. The cover plate 210 has a plurality of mounts 204 extending from the bottom surface 202 of the cover plate 210. Each of the portions 122, 130, 166, and 168 of the showerhead 116 includes one or more mounts 216 capable of mating with a respective mount 204 of the cover plate 210 to couple the showerhead 116 to the cover plate 210. In some embodiments, one or more mounts 216 extend from a radially outer surface of the showerhead 116. In some embodiments, the mounts 204, 216 are made of an insulating material.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of portions 122, 130, 166, and 168 are similarly sized. In some embodiments, the multiple portions may have different sizes. The first portion 122 includes a first inlet 208 extending through an opening in a cover plate 210. Similarly, the second, third and fourth portions 130, 166, 168 include second, third and fourth inlets 212, 214, 224, respectively, each extending through an opening in the cover plate 210. In some embodiments, each inlet 208, 212, 214, 224 is disposed adjacent a respective outer portion of each gas delivery portion 122, 130, 166, and 168.

The first portion 122 includes a plurality of openings 226 extending from a bottom surface 236. The plurality of openings 226 are configured to deliver process gases into the process chamber 102. Portions 130, 166, and 168 each include a plurality of openings 228, 232, 234 extending from their respective bottom surfaces 238, 242, 244. The plurality of openings 228, 232, 234 are configured to deliver the process gas from each portion 130, 166, and 168 into the process chamber 102. The plurality of openings 226, 228, 232, 234 may be arranged in any pattern suitable for uniformly depositing the process material onto the substrate 114. In some embodiments, the plurality of openings 226, 228, 232, 234 have a diameter of about 0.1mm to about 3 mm.

The showerhead 116 and the cover plate 210 include a plurality of feed-through plates 218. The plurality of feedthrough plates 218 are configured to allow wires to pass from the showerhead 116 through the cover plate 210. These wires may be heater wires, sensor wires, etc. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of feed-through plates 218 includes a plurality of openings 222. In some embodiments, feedthrough plate 218 is disposed adjacent to each of the plurality of portions 122, 130, 166, and 168. In some embodiments, one or more heating wires 206 (one shown) are configured to pass through one of the feed-through plates 218 and into the first portion 122.

Fig. 3 is a flow diagram of a method 300 according to at least one embodiment described herein. In these embodiments, the method 300 is performed using the systems and devices described in fig. 1-2, but is not limited to these systems and devices, and may be performed using other similar systems and devices. To obtain the resultant film described above, the rotational speed of the pedestal 112, the pressure within the processing space, and the mass flow rate out of the showerhead 116 control the composition and size of the various regions of the different materials used to form the resultant film. Some of the factors that determine the mass flow rate from the showerhead 116 are: the temperature of the showerhead 116, the flow restrictions created by the openings in each portion of the showerhead 116, the flow conditions (e.g., molecular flow) of each material 162, 164, 178, 180 in different portions of the processing system 100, the temperature of each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176, the temperature gradient from each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176 to the showerhead 116, and the pressure of the processing chamber 102 in which the substrate 114 is located during processing. Each of the materials 162, 164, 178, 180 flowing from the portions 122, 130, 166, 168 of the showerhead 116 may have different processing parameters, allowing for a controlled film deposition process for forming at least a portion of the device. Furthermore, as described above, two opposing portions of the showerhead 116 may be connected to the same ampoule to deposit the same material. For example, the first portion 122 and the third portion 166 may be connected to the same ampoule, such as the first ampoule 118, via the first delivery line 120 to deposit the first material 162. The second portion 130 and the fourth portion 168 may be connected to the second ampoule 126 via a second delivery line 128 to deposit the second material 162. In this way, two or three materials may be deposited on the substrate using the components present in the processing system 100.

In block 301, a substrate 114 is loaded onto the pedestal 112. At block 316, each of the materials 162, 164, 178, 180 flowing from the showerhead 116 is deposited onto the substrate 114 to produce the films shown and described below in FIGS. 4A-4B. In some embodiments, all of the materials 162, 164, 178, 180 are deposited onto the substrate 114. In other embodiments, three of the materials 162, 164, 178, 180 are deposited onto the substrate 114. In other embodiments, two of the materials 162, 164, 178, 180 are deposited onto the substrate 114. Deposition of one or more materials on the substrate 114 at any one time during the process of block 316 is typically accomplished by simultaneously controlling and completing at least the processes described in blocks 302 and 314.

In block 302, the temperature of each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176 is controlled. The temperature and pressure within each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176 are sufficiently high to enable evaporation of the solid or liquid material located in each ampoule. The temperature of the transfer lines 120, 128, 171, 173 is also maintained at the desired temperature by using the heating elements 124, 132, 170, 172 described in fig. 1. The temperature of each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176 and each transfer line 120, 128, 171, and 173 may be controlled within a range of about 20 degrees celsius to about 1200 degrees celsius, such as between about 100 degrees celsius and about 600 degrees celsius. The pressure within the chamber process volume, the ampoule process volume, and the transfer lines in the processing system 100 during processing may be less than 1 x 10^{- 8}And (5) Torr. In other embodiments, the pressure may be about 1 × 10^-8Torr and about 1X 10^-5Torr, e.g. between about 1X 10^{- 7}Torr to about 1X 10^-6Torr.

In some embodiments, the temperature of each of ampoules 118, 126, 174, and 176 may be between about 100 degrees celsius and about 600 degrees celsius. In some embodiments, the temperature of each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176 is different, and in other embodiments may be substantially the same. In some embodiments, the temperature of each transfer line 120, 128, 171, 173 is maintained above the temperature of each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176. In other embodiments, the temperature of each transfer line 120, 128, 171, 173 is maintained at approximately the same temperature as each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176. Additionally, in some embodiments, the temperatures of the first ampoule 118, the first delivery line 120, and the first portion 122 of the showerhead 116 are all substantially similar, such that the mass flow of the first material 162 is more uniform. In some embodiments, the temperatures of the second ampoule 126, the second delivery line 128, and the second portion 130 of the showerhead 116 are all substantially similar, also resulting in a more uniform mass flow of the second material 162. In some embodiments, the temperatures of the third ampoule 174, the third delivery line 171, and the third portion 166 of the showerhead 116 are all substantially similar, also resulting in a more uniform mass flow of the third material 178. In some embodiments, the temperatures of the fourth ampoule 176, the fourth delivery line 173, and the fourth portion 168 of the showerhead 116 are all substantially similar, also resulting in a more uniform mass flow of the fourth material 180.

At block 304, the first material 162 is delivered from the first ampoule 118 through the first delivery line 120 into the first portion 122 of the showerhead 116 and into the processing volume 110 of the processing chamber 102, and the second, third, and fourth materials 164, 178, 180 are delivered simultaneously or sequentially from the second, third, and fourth ampoules 126, 174, 176 through the respective second, third, and fourth delivery lines 128, 171, 173 to the respective second, third, and fourth portions 130, 166, 168 of the showerhead 116 and into the processing volume 110 of the processing chamber 102. In some embodiments, the pressure within the processing system 100 may be maintained to control the flow of each material out of the ampoule to place the flow of material in a desired flow state, such as a molecular flow state. Thus, the flow of each vaporization material is controlled by the temperature and internal pressure of each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176 (as described above) and the surface area of each material 162, 164, 178, 180 within each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176. The material 162, 164, 178, 180 disposed in each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176 may include any material for sublimation and condensation on a substrate, such as tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) or Buckminsterfullerene (Buckminsterfullerene) (C60).

In block 306, the mass flow rate of material from each portion 122, 130, 166, 168 of the showerhead 116 is controlled. By controlling pressure and temperature throughout the processing system 100The mass flow rate is controlled. The mass flow from each portion 122, 130, 166, 168 of the showerhead 116 may be about 1 x 10^-4kg/(m²S) to about 0.25 kg/(m)²S). Further, the deposition rate from each portion 122, 130, 166, 168 of the showerhead 116 may be at aboutAnd aboutSuch as between aboutAndin the meantime. As described above, maintaining the pressure below certain thresholds for each material 162, 164, 178, 180 may provide a molecular flow regime in which the vaporized material will flow. In some embodiments, the flow rate in each portion 122, 130, 166, 168 may be different. In other embodiments, the ratio of the flow rate of vaporized material flowing from one of the portions 122, 130, 166, 168 to another of the portions 122, 130, 166, 168 may be greater than 1: 100, for example between about 1: 1 and 1: 100, respectively. However, in other embodiments, the flow rate in each portion 122, 130, 166, 168 may be approximately the same.

In block 308, the temperature of each portion of the showerhead 116 is controlled. The temperature of each section 122, 130, 166, 168 is high enough to prevent condensation. In addition, as described above, the temperature of each ampoule and the temperature gradient between each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176 and the showerhead 116 also affect the material flux of each material 162, 164, 178, 180 flowing from the showerhead 116. As the temperature of a portion of the showerhead 116 increases, the material flux of material exiting this portion of the showerhead 116 increases. The temperature may be in a range of about 20 degrees celsius to about 1200 degrees celsius, such as between about 100 degrees celsius to about 600 degrees celsius. In some embodiments, the temperature of each portion 122, 130, 166, 168 may be different. However, in other embodiments, the temperature of each portion 122, 130, 166, 168 may be approximately the same.

At block 310, each material 162, 164, 178, 180 is flowed from each portion 122, 130, 166, 168 of the showerhead 116 into the process volume 110 of the process chamber 102.

In block 312, the pressure within the process chamber 102 is controlled. In some embodiments, the pressure within the process chamber 102 may be about 1 x 10^-9Torr to about 1X 10^-5Torr, e.g. between about 1X 10^-7Torr to about 1X 10^-6Torr. Controlling the pressure within the process chamber 102 determines the flow conditions of the materials 162, 164, 178, 180 into the process volume 102. The deposition rate of each material on the surface of the substrate 114 is increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the mass flow rate.

In block 314, the rotational speed of the base 112 is controlled. The pedestal 112 is configured to rotate at a speed such that when multiple process materials flowing from the showerhead 116 are co-deposited onto the substrate 114, it results in a film having the desired material domain size. In some embodiments, the rotational speed may be between about 0RPM to about 200RPM, such as between 5RPM to about 100RPM, or between 10RPM and 70 RPM. Controlling the rotational speed of the susceptor 112 helps to form a suitable device. When the rotation of the pedestal 112 is slower than the rotation speed required to form certain devices, the domain size may be too large for the materials to mix well to provide sufficient interfacial area. When the rotation of the pedestal 112 is faster than the rotation speed required to form certain devices, the micro-region size may be too small to form sufficient pathways for each material to perform efficient charge transport in the device. The material flux of each material 164, 162, 178, 180 also affects how the velocity of the base 112 should be controlled. When the material flux is high, the deposition rate on the substrate 114 is high, which means that the rotation speed of the susceptor 112 should be controlled to a high speed to produce a similar domain size of the film. When the material flux is low, the deposition rate on the substrate 114 is low, which means that the rotation speed of the susceptor 112 should be controlled to a low speed to produce a similar micro-zone size.

At block 318, the substrate 114 is removed from the processing chamber 102. In general, the method 300 advantageously produces desired films of desired thickness and composition that are deposited on the substrate 114 such that the films may form at least a portion of a suitable device, such as an OLED or other optical device. For example, the method 300 may cause the region of the layer formed to appear similar to the region shown in fig. 4A or 4B.

Fig. 4A-4B are schematic views of a processing chamber after performing the method 300 shown in fig. 3 according to some embodiments described herein. Fig. 4A shows multiple materials (represented by A, B, C, D) mixed within a single formed layer. The results shown generally occur at relatively fast speeds, e.g., greater than about 10 RPM. Although a blend of four materials A, B, C and D is shown in FIG. 4A in a single film, in other embodiments, a blend of two materials may be present, such as A/B, A/C, A/D, B/C and B/D. In other embodiments, there may be a mixture of three or more materials, such as A/B/C, B/C/D and A/C/D. In other embodiments, there may be a mixture of more than four materials. The hybrid materials in a single film are important for the optical and/or electrical properties of certain devices, such as charge transport of certain devices.

Fig. 4B shows a plurality of materials (represented by A, B, C, D) forming a superlattice structure. The results shown in FIG. 4B typically occur at slower rotational speeds, e.g., less than 1 RPM. Although four materials A, B, C and D are stacked in FIG. 4B, in other embodiments, there may be an alternating stack of two materials, for example A/B/A/B. In other embodiments, there may be a stack of three materials, such as A/B/C, B/C/D and A/C/D. In other embodiments, a stack of more than four materials may be present. In some cases, the stacking of two or more layers may be repeated two or more times, such as, for example, a three-layer stack may include two sets of stacks a/B/C/a/B/C, where a/B/C is a repeating set. The resulting superlattice structures may be used in certain optoelectronic devices. In addition, these devices can be formed with uninterrupted deposition to improve yield.

In the embodiments described herein, the size of the resulting area of the film across the surface of the substrate 114 is determined by the deposition mass flow rate (or material flux) from the showerhead 116, the pressure within the processing volume, and the rotational speed of the pedestal 112. Some of the factors that determine the mass flow rate deposition from the showerhead 116 are: the temperature of the showerhead 116, the input temperature of the material provided to the showerhead 116, the flow restriction created by the openings in each showerhead section, the flow conditions (e.g., molecular flow) of the material in different sections of the processing system 100, the temperature of each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176, the temperature gradient from each ampoule 118, 126, 174, 176 to the showerhead 116, and the pressure of the processing chamber 102 in which the substrate 114 is located during processing. Each of these factors, as described above, is controlled in the method 300 to control the deposition rate of the material deposited on the substrate 114 to deposit the desired film on the surface of the substrate 114.

Likewise, by varying the various process variables described above, such as the flux of deposition material and the delivery time of each deposition material, the composition of one or more deposition layers may be adjusted in the growth direction (i.e., perpendicular to the exposed surface of the substrate) and/or in the lateral direction (i.e., parallel to the exposed surface of the substrate) as one or more deposition layers are being grown. Thus, for example, by adjusting the mass flow rate and the overlap or interval of the delivery time of each constituent material in one or more deposited layers, the composition of one or different portions of any one of such one or more deposited layers may be controlled.

While the foregoing is directed to implementations of the present invention, other and further implementations of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.