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.

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.

A deposition or cleaning apparatus comprising an outer vacuum chamber and a reaction chamber inside the outer chamber forming a double chamber structure. The reaction chamber is configured to move between a processing position and a lowered position inside the outer vacuum chamber, the lowered position being for loading one or more substrates into the reaction chamber.

Embodiments of a showerhead are described herein. In some embodiments, a showerhead assembly includes: a first gas delivery portion having a first body, a first inlet, and a plurality of first tubes extending from the first body and defining a first plenum, wherein each tube of the plurality of first tubes includes a plurality of first holes; and a second gas delivery portion having a second body, a second inlet, and a plurality of second tubes extending from the second body and defining a second plenum fluidly independent from the first plenum, wherein each tube of the plurality of second tubes includes a plurality of second holes, and wherein the plurality of first tubes are disposed in an alternating pattern with the plurality of second tubes across a width of the showerhead assembly and a heat sink disposed between the plurality of first tubes and the plurality of second tubes.

A deposition method including following steps is provided. A first precursor is injected into a chamber along a first direction, and a bias power supply is turned on to attract the first precursor to a substrate. A second precursor is injected into the chamber along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the bias power supply is turned on to attract the second precursor to the substrate. A first inert gas is injected into the chamber along the first direction, and the bias power supply is turned off to purge an unnecessary part of the first precursor or an unnecessary part of the second precursor or a by-product. A second inert gas is injected the chamber along the second direction, and the bias power supply is turned off to purge the unnecessary part of the first precursor or the unnecessary part of the second precursor or the by-products.

There is provided a film forming method of embedding a film in a groove formed in a front surface of a substrate, which includes: depositing an in-conformal film in the groove formed in the front surface of the substrate while forming a V-like cross-sectional shape in the groove; and embedding a conformal film in the groove by depositing the conformal film.

A high-speed, uniform and high-quality surface treatment apparatus is described. The surface treatment apparatus includes a fixed hollow cylindrical chamber body and a rotatable polygonal prism inside the chamber body. Several flat-substrate holders are symmetrically disposed on the prism surface. The substrate holders revolve as the prism rotates. On the fixed chamber wall, several gas inlet channels, pumping channels and processing units are installed according to the symmetric configuration of the substrate holders. Then, as the substrate holders revolve, the surface treatment processes will occur periodically, including the injection of gas reactants into, the activation of gases in, and the pumping of after-reaction gases out of the processing spaces, defined by the substrate holders and the chamber wall. The substrates will therefore undergo many cycles of periodic surface treatment processes.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for coating particles by atomic layer deposition comprising (a) a first reactor capable of bringing particles in contact with a first reactive gas and (b) a second reactor capable of bringing particles in contact with a second reactive gas, wherein the first and the second reactor are separated by a first and a second gas lock and the particles can be conveyed from the first reactor through the first gas lock to the second reactor and at the same time the particles can be conveyed from the second reactor through the second gas lock to the first reactor.

Methods and systems for conformality modulation of metal oxide films in atomic layer deposition (ALD) are provided. Some example methods use chemical inhibition. An example system for performing such a method comprises a chamber; a source of precursor gas; a source of inhibiting precursor gas; one or more injectors having respective gas flow paths, each having an inlet connectable to the source of the precursor or the inhibiting precursor gas, and being adapted to deliver into the chamber, separately or in conjunction with another injector, precursor gas at a first gaseous flow rate in a first region of the plurality of regions to form a first film at a first deposition rate, and being adapted to deliver inhibiting precursor gas at a second gaseous flow rate in the same or a second region of the plurality of regions to inhibit growth of the first film.