In a plasma reactor a pumping compartment is separate from a plasma-treating compartment by a structure which includes a central frame. The frame is suspended to the casing of the reactor via spokes. The spokes allow free expansion and contraction of the frame under thermal loading. The slits between the spokes do not allow plasma ignition there and provide for a small flow resistance between the treatment compartment and the pumping compartment. The frame may act as a downholding member for a substrate on the smaller electrode.

Chamber components for an epitaxial growth apparatus are disclosed. A reaction chamber defined and formed by a ceiling plate. A reactant gas is rectified in a reactant gas supply path disposed in the side wall, so that a horizontal component in a flow direction of the reactant gas in the reaction chamber corresponds to a horizontal component in a direction extending from the center of an opening of the reactant gas supply path. Improvements to the upper side wall, susceptor and rectification plate of the epitaxial growth apparatus have resulted in improvements to the uniformity and formation speed of the epitaxial layer formed on substrates resulting in higher throughput and lower defects.

Showerheads for semiconductor processing equipment are disclosed that include various features designed to promote thermal control of the showerhead in high-temperature applications.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method includes supplying a vaporized precursor into a processing volume, supplying activated elements including ions and radicals from a remote plasma source, energizing the activated elements using RF source power at a first duty cycle to react with the vaporized precursor to deposit an SiNHx film onto a substrate disposed in the processing volume, supplying a first process gas from the remote plasma source while providing RF bias power at a second duty cycle different from the first duty cycle to the substrate support to convert the SiNH.sub.x film to an SiOx film, supplying a process gas mixture formed from a second process gas supplied from the remote plasma source and a third process gas supplied from the gas supply while providing RF bias power at the second duty cycle to the substrate support, and annealing the substrate.

A gas delivery system configured to provide deposition and etch gases to a processing chamber for a rapid alternating process includes a first valve arranged to provide deposition gas from a deposition gas manifold to a first zone of a gas distribution device via a first orifice and provide the deposition gas from the deposition gas manifold to a second zone of the gas distribution device via a second orifice having a diameters than the first orifice. A second valve is arranged to provide etch gas from the etch gas manifold to the first zone of the gas distribution device via a third orifice and provide the etch gas from the etch gas manifold to the second zone of the gas distribution device via a fourth orifice having a different diameter than the third orifice.

Provided is a plasma processing apparatus including: a plurality of gas supply nozzles which are provided on a wall surface of a processing container and supply process gas toward the inside of the processing container in a radial direction; N microwave introducing modules of which the number disposed in a circumferential direction of a ceiling plate of the processing container so as to introduce microwaves for generating plasma into the processing container, in which N≥2; and M sensors provided on the wall surface of the processing container so as to monitor at least any one of electron density Ne and electron temperature Te of the plasma generated in the processing container, in which M equals to N or a multiple of N.

A method for operating a substrate processing system includes delivering precursor gas to a chamber using a showerhead that includes a head portion and a stem portion. The head portion includes an upper surface, a sidewall, a lower planar surface, and a cylindrical cavity and extends radially outwardly from one end of the stem portion towards sidewalls of the chamber. The showerhead is connected, using a collar, to an upper surface of the chamber. The collar is arranged around the stem portion. Process gas is flowed into the cylindrical cavity via the stem portion and through a plurality of holes in the lower planar surface to distribute the process gas into the chamber. A purge gas is supplied through slots of the collar into a cavity defined between the head portion and an upper surface of the chamber.

A deposition apparatus for depositing a material on a substrate is provided. The deposition apparatus has a processing chamber defining a processing space in which the substrate is arranged, an ultraviolet radiation assembly configured to emit ultraviolet radiation and a microwave radiation assembly configured to emit microwave radiation into an excitation space that can be the same as the processing space, and a gas feed assembly configured to feed a precursor gas into the processing space and a reactive gas into the excitation space. The ultraviolet radiation assembly and the microwave radiation assembly are operated in combination to excite the reactive gas in the excitation space. The material is deposited on the substrate from the reaction of the excited reactive gas and the precursor gas. A method for using the deposition apparatus to deposit a material on a substrate is provided.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus for improving quality of films deposited on a substrate by a CVD process. More specifically, a branched gas feed assembly uniformly distributes a process gas entering an annular plenum. Each conduit of a first plurality of conduits having substantially equal flow conductance is in fluid communication with one or more conduits of a second plurality of conduits having substantially equal flow conductance. Each conduit of the second plurality of conduits terminates at one of a plurality of outlets. Each outlet of the plurality of outlets is in fluid communication with one or more inlet ports of a plurality of inlet ports formed in the annular plenum. Each inlet port of the plurality of inlet ports is spaced equidistant about a central axis of the annular plenum.

A method for processing semiconductor wafer is provided. The method includes loading a semiconductor wafer on a top surface of a wafer chuck. The method also includes supplying a gaseous material between the semiconductor wafer and the top surface of the wafer chuck through a first gas inlet port and a second gas inlet port located underneath a fan-shaped sector of the top surface. The method further includes supplying a fluid medium to a fluid inlet port of the wafer chuck and guiding the fluid medium from the fluid inlet port to flow through a number of arc-shaped channels located underneath the fan-shaped sector of the top surface. In addition, the method includes supplying a plasma gas over the semiconductor wafer.