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US 11,767,593 B2Granted
High temperature vacuum seal
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsMuhannad Mustafa, Muhammad M. Rasheed
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Gas distribution assemblies and process chambers comprising gas distribution assemblies are described. The gas distribution assembly includes a gas distribution plate, a lid and a primary O-ring. The primary O-ring is positioned between a purge channel of a first contact surface of the gas distribution plate and a second contact surface. Methods of sealing a process chamber using the disclosed gas distribution assemblies are also described.
Claims16
A method of sealing a process chamber, the method comprising:
- measuring a pressure in a purge gas line downstream of a purge gas line outlet aligned with a purge channel in a gas distribution assembly comprising a gas distribution plate and a lid separated by a primary O-ring, the purge gas line in fluid communication with a purge channel and a purge gas line inlet, each of the purge gas line inlet and purge gas line outlet aligned with the purge channel;
- and providing a flow of inert gas into the purge channel so that there is substantially no pressure differential between the gas distribution plate and the purge channel, the gas distribution assembly further comprises a spacer ring purge gas line extending through the gas distribution plate, wherein the spacer ring purge gas line comprises a spacer ring purge gas line inlet with an opening at a back surface of the gas distribution plate and a spacer ring purge gas line outlet with an opening at the back surface of the gas distribution plate, the inlet opening and outlet opening aligned with a spacer ring purge channel.
A method of sealing a process chamber, the method comprising:
- measuring a pressure in one or more of a purge gas line downstream of a spacer ring purge gas line outlet aligned with a purge channel or a spacer purge gas line in a gas distribution assembly comprising a gas distribution plate and a lid separated by a primary O-ring, the purge gas line in fluid communication with a purge channel and a purge gas line inlet, each of the purge gas line inlet and purge gas line outlet aligned with the purge channel, the spacer ring purge gas line extending through the gas distribution plate, the spacer ring purge gas line comprising a spacer ring purge gas line inlet with an opening at a back surface of the gas distribution plate and a spacer ring purge gas line outlet with an opening at the back surface of the gas distribution plate, the inlet opening and outlet opening aligned with a spacer ring purge channel;
- and providing a flow of inert gas into one or more of the purge channel or the spacer ring purge channel so that there is substantially no pressure differential between the gas distribution plate and the purge channel or the spacer ring purge channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.