US 11,535,936 B2Granted

Dual gas feed showerhead for deposition

AssigneeLam Research Corporation

InventorsMichael Philip Roberts, Eric Russell Madsen

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A showerhead utilized within a process chamber includes a first inlet for receiving a first gas from a first source at a center region of an inner plenum defined therein. A plurality of second inlets is defined along a peripheral region of the showerhead for receiving a second gas from a second source. A plurality of conduits couples the edge plenum to an outer edge of the inner plenum so as to supply the second gas to the inner plenum. The first gas creates an inner flow that flows radially outward from the center region to an outer edge of the inner plenum and the second gas supplied by the edge plenum creates a perimeter flow that flows inward from the outer edge of the inner plenum toward the center region. A stagnation point defining an adjustable radius is formed at an interface of the first gas and the second gas. A plurality of outlets are defined across a lower surface of the showerhead and extends a diameter of the inner plenum such that the first gas from the inner flow exits the plurality of outlets from the center region up to the stagnation point and the second gas from the perimeter flow exits the plurality of outlets from the stagnation point to the outer edge.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A process chamber used for processing a substrate, comprising:

a lower chamber body having a substrate support surface for supporting the substrate;
an upper chamber body configured to mate over the lower chamber body, the upper chamber body including a showerhead, wherein the showerhead includes,
an inner plenum coupled to a single first inlet, the single first inlet oriented at a center of the showerhead and configured to supply a first gas from a first source into a center region of the inner plenum to create an inner flow of the first gas that moves radially out from the center region toward an outer edge of the inner plenum, a first flow valve coupled to the single first inlet to control a first flow rate of the first gas to set the inner flow to extend to a first radius;
an edge plenum located along a peripheral region of the showerhead, the edge plenum having a plurality of second inlets that receive a second gas from a second source;
a plurality of conduits couple the edge plenum to the inner plenum at the outer edge of the inner plenum, the plurality of conduits supply the second gas from the edge plenum and into the inner plenum so as to create a perimeter flow of the second gas in the inner plenum that flows inward from the outer edge of the inner plenum toward the center region,
wherein a second flow valve is coupled to the plurality of second inlets to control a second flow rate of the second gas supplied to the inner plenum via the edge plenum to set the perimeter flow of the second gas to extend from an edge of the first radius to a second radius in the inner plenum, the second flow rate of the second gas is different from the first flow rate of the first gas supplied simultaneously in the inner plenum to form a stagnation point at the first radius of the inner plenum that acts as a separation interface, the first flow rate controlled by the first flow valve and the second flow rate controlled by the second flow valve are set to dynamically adjust the first radius while keeping the first gas substantially separate from the second gas;
and
a plurality of outlets distributed across a lower surface that extends a diameter of the inner plenum, the plurality of outlets configured to separately and simultaneously deliver the first gas from the inner plenum to a first process region and the second gas from the inner plenum to a second process region defined over the substrate support surface.

5 more elements

A showerhead of a substrate processing system used for processing a substrate, comprising:

an inner plenum coupled to a single first inlet, the single first inlet oriented at a center of the showerhead and configured to supply a first gas from a first source into a center region of the inner plenum to create an inner flow of the first gas that moves radially out from the center region toward an outer edge of the inner plenum, a first flow valve coupled to the single first inlet to control a first flow rate of the first gas to set the inner flow to extend to a first radius;
an edge plenum located along a peripheral region of the showerhead, the edge plenum having a plurality of second inlets that receive a second gas from a second source;
a plurality of conduits couple the edge plenum to the inner plenum at the outer edge of the inner plenum, the plurality of conduits supply the second gas from the edge plenum and into the inner plenum so as to create a perimeter flow of the second gas in the inner plenum that flows inward from the outer edge of the inner plenum toward the center region,
wherein a second flow valve is coupled to the plurality of second inlets to control a second flow rate of the second gas supplied to the inner plenum via the edge plenum to set the perimeter flow of the second gas to extend from an edge of the first radius to a second radius in the inner plenum, the second flow rate of the second gas is different from the first flow rate of the first gas supplied simultaneously in the inner plenum to form a stagnation point at the first radius of the inner plenum that acts as a separation interface, the first flow rate controlled by the first flow valve and the second flow rate controlled by the second flow valve are set to dynamically adjust the first radius while keeping the first gas substantially separate from the second gas;
and
a plurality of outlets distributed across a lower surface that extends a diameter of the inner plenum, the plurality of outlets configured to separately and simultaneously deliver the first gas from the inner plenum to a first process region and the second gas from the inner plenum to a second process region defined over a substrate, when the substrate is present in the substrate processing system.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.