A gas injector is used in a film deposition apparatus for semiconductor processes. The gas injector comprises a plurality of gas inlets, a plurality of gas flow channels, and a plurality of gas outlets. The gas inlets introduce several kinds of gases into the gas flow channels. The several kinds of gases are delivered to the gas outlets by the gas flow channels. The cross-sectional area of a portion of at least one of the gas flow channels is gradually changed relative to the gas outlets.

A film-forming device that includes a cylindrical chamber capable of maintaining vacuum therein, a workpiece holder that is constructed to align and hold workpieces to be processed in multiple stages such that main surfaces of the workpieces are oriented in a vertical direction relative to a central axis of the chamber, a deposition material supply pipe, a modifier supply pipe, a carrier gas supply pipe, and an exhaust mechanism, wherein in a cross section of the chamber in a direction parallel to the main surfaces of the workpieces, the exhaust mechanism is located on a side opposite to an opening direction of gas outlets of the deposition, modifier, and carrier gas supply pipes, and a total gas flow from the deposition, modifier, and carrier gas supply pipes is symmetric about a centerline of the chamber.

An atomic layer deposition apparatus, having a first series of high pressure gas injection openings and a first series of exhaust openings that are positioned such that they together create a first high pressure/suction zone within each purge gas zone, wherein each first high pressure/suction zone extends over substantially the entire width of the process tunnel and wherein the distribution of the gas injection openings that are connected to the second purge gas source and the distribution of the gas exhaust openings within the first high pressure/suction zone, as well as the pressure of the second purge gas source and the pressure at the gas exhaust openings are such that the average pressure within the first high pressure/suction zone deviates less than 30% from a reference pressure which is defined by the average pressure within process tunnel when no substrate is present.

Showerheads for independently delivering different, mutually-reactive process gases to a wafer processing space are provided. The showerheads include a first gas distributor that has multiple plenum structures that are separated from one another by a gap, as well as a second gas distributor positioned above the first gas distributor. Isolation gas from the second gas distributor may be flowed down onto the first gas distributor and through the gaps in between the plenum structures of the first gas distributor, thereby establishing an isolation gas curtain that prevents the process gases released from each plenum structure from parasitically depositing on the plenum structures that provide other gases.

Provided is a method for forming a thin film. The method for forming the thin film includes forming a first thin film having a first thickness with first crystallinity through an atomic layer deposition process and etching the first thin film by a predetermined thickness through an atomic layer etching process with respect to the first thin film to form a second thin film having a second thickness less than the first thickness.

The present disclosure generally provides methods of providing at least metastable radical molecular species and/or radical atomic species to a processing volume of a process chamber during an electronic device fabrication process, and apparatus related thereto. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a gas injection assembly disposed between a remote plasma source and a process chamber. The gas injection assembly includes a body, a dielectric liner disposed in the body that defines a gas mixing volume, a first flange to couple the gas injection assembly to a process chamber, and a second flange to couple the gas injection assembly to the remote plasma source. The gas injection assembly further includes one or more gas injection ports formed through the body and the liner.

Thick, inorganic coatings can be deposited on a polarizer by chemical vapor deposition. In one embodiment, the method can comprise activating a surface of the polarizer with an oxygen plasma in an oven; injecting a solution including tetrakis(dimethylamino)silane dissolved in cyclohexane and water into the oven; and vapor depositing silicon dioxide onto the polarizer. These three steps can be repeated multiple times until desired thickness is attained.

Methods comprising forming a metal oxide film by atomic layer deposition using water as an oxidant are described. The metal oxide film is exposed to a decoupled plasma comprising one or more of He, H2 or O2 to lower the wetch etch rate of the metal oxide film.

An atomic layer deposition apparatus, having a first series of high pressure gas injection openings and a first series of exhaust openings that are positioned such that they together create a first high pressure/suction zone within each purge gas zone, wherein each first high pressure/suction zone extends over substantially the entire width of the process tunnel and wherein the distribution of the gas injection openings that are connected to the second purge gas source and the distribution of the gas exhaust openings within the first high pressure/suction zone, as well as the pressure of the second purge gas source and the pressure at the gas exhaust openings are such that the average pressure within the first high pressure/suction zone deviates less than 30% from a reference pressure which is defined by the average pressure within process tunnel when no substrate is present.

A method performed by a film deposition apparatus including a process chamber and a rotary table that is disposed in the process chamber and includes a substrate-mounting surface on which a substrate is placeable. The method includes a first cleaning process of supplying a cleaning gas from above the substrate-mounting surface of the rotary table while rotating the rotary table in a first cleaning position, and a second cleaning process of supplying the cleaning gas from above the substrate-mounting surface of the rotary table while rotating the rotary table in a second cleaning position that is lower than the first cleaning position.