A semiconductor processing apparatus is described that has a body with a wall defining two processing chambers within the body; a passage through the wall forming a fluid coupling between the two processing chambers; a lid removably coupled to the body, the lid having a portal in fluid communication with the passage; a gas activator coupled to the lid outside the processing chambers, the gas activator having an outlet in fluid communication with the portal of the lid; a substrate support disposed in each processing chamber, each substrate support having at least two heating zones, each with an embedded heating element; a gas distributor coupled to the lid facing each substrate support; and a thermal control member coupled to the lid at an edge of each gas distributor.

A method of depositing silicon nitride films on semiconductor substrates processed in a micro-volume of a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) reaction chamber wherein a single semiconductor substrate is supported on a ceramic surface of a pedestal and process gas is introduced through gas outlets in a ceramic surface of a showerhead into a reaction zone above the semiconductor substrate, includes (a) cleaning the ceramic surfaces of the pedestal and showerhead with a fluorine plasma, (b) depositing a halide-free atomic layer deposition (ALD) oxide undercoating on the ceramic surfaces, (c) depositing a precoating of ALD silicon nitride on the halide-free ALD oxide undercoating, and (d) processing a batch of semiconductor substrates by transferring each semiconductor substrate into the reaction chamber and depositing a film of ALD silicon nitride on the semiconductor substrate supported on the ceramic surface of the pedestal.

A substrate mounting member according to the present invention is a member for mounting a SiC substrate for epitaxial growth, which includes a wafer plate including a SiC polycrystal, and a supporting plate configured to be placed on the wafer plate, include no SiC polycrystal and have a surface serving as a SiC substrate placing surface, the surface being on the side opposite to a surface in contact with the wafer plate, and in which a thickness h [mm] of the supporting plate satisfies an expression h.sup.4≦3pa.sup.4(1−v.sup.2){(5+v)/(1+v)}16E when a force applied to a unit area of the supporting plate by a self-weight of the supporting plate and by the SiC substrate is represented as p [N/mm.sup.2], a radius of the supporting plate as a [mm], a Poisson's ratio as v and a Young's modulus as E [MPa].

A substrate processing method is for forming a metal film on a target substrate by using a plasma. The method includes loading a target substrate having a silicon-containing layer on a surface thereof into a processing chamber which is pre-coated by a film containing a metal, introducing hydrogen gas and a gaseous compound of the metal and halogen into the processing chamber, generating a plasma, and forming a metal film on the target substrate. The method further includes performing a first reduction process of forming an atmosphere of a plasma obtained by activating hydrogen gas in the processing chamber, unloading the target substrate from the processing chamber, performing a second reduction process of forming an atmosphere of a plasma obtained by activating hydrogen gas in the processing chamber, and loading a next target substrate into the processing chamber.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a partition plate, an antenna, and a high frequency power supply. The partition plate has a plurality of holes and partitions an inside of the processing container into a plasma generation chamber and a processing chamber. The antenna generates plasma of the plasma excitation gas supplied into the plasma generation chamber. The high frequency power supply generates plasma of a precoating gas supplied into the plasma generation chamber and introduced into the processing chamber through the plurality of holes of the partition plate. The plasma processing apparatus performs a precoating on a surface of a partition plate on a side of the processing chamber by causing the high frequency power supply to generate plasma of the precoating gas before a plasma processing using the plasma of the plasma excitation gas is performed.

Methods and apparatus disclosed herein relate to the formation and use of undercoats on the interior surfaces of reaction chambers used to deposit films on substrates. The undercoats are deposited through atomic layer deposition methods. For example, the undercoat may be formed by flowing a first reactant into the reaction chamber, flowing a second reactant into the reaction chamber while the first reactant is adsorbed on interior surfaces of the reaction chamber, and exposing the reaction chamber to plasma to form the undercoat. The disclosed undercoats help prevent metal contamination, provide improved resistance to flaking, and are relatively thin. Because of the superior resistance to flaking, the disclosed undercoats allow more substrates to be processed between subsequent cleaning operations, thereby increasing throughput.

The present document discloses a gas inlet device (21, 21a-21k) for use in a reactor for gas treatment of a substrate. The gas inlet device comprises an inlet niche having a back wall (233), and a side wall (234, 235) extending in a downstream direction (F) from the back wall (233) towards an inlet niche opening (212), an impingement surface (243), a gas orifice (210), which is configured to direct a gas flow towards the impingement surface (243), and a taper surface (244, 245), extending downstream of the impingement surface (243), such that a flow gap (213) having, along the downstream direction (F), gradually increasing cross sectional area, is formed between the side wall (234, 235) and the taper surface (244, 245).

The document further discloses a mixing device, a gas outlet device a reactor and the use of such reactor.

Methods and apparatus for selectively depositing a titanium material layer atop a substrate having a silicon surface and a dielectric surface are disclosed. In embodiments an apparatus is configured for forming a remote plasma reaction between titanium tetrachloride (TiCl.sub.4), hydrogen (H.sub.2) and argon (Ar) in a region between a lid heater and a showerhead of a process chamber at a first temperature of 200 to 800 degrees Celsius; and flowing reaction products into the process chamber to selectively form a titanium material layer upon the silicon surface of the substrate.

Parasitic plasma in voids in a component of a plasma processing chamber can be eliminated by covering electrically conductive surfaces in an interior of the voids with a sleeve. The voids can be gas holes, lift pin holes, helium passages, conduits and/or plenums in chamber components such as an upper electrode and a substrate support.

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to articles, coated chamber components and methods of coating chamber components with a protective coating that includes at least one metal fluoride having a formula selected from the group consisting of M1.sub.xF.sub.w, M1.sub.xM2.sub.yF.sub.w and M1.sub.xM2.sub.yM3.sub.zF.sub.w, where at least one of M1, M2, or M3 is magnesium or lanthanum. The protective coating can be deposited by atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, electron beam ion assisted deposition, or physical vapor deposition.