# US 12,183,560 B2 · Gas injection process kit to eliminate arcing and improve uniform gas distribution for a PVD process

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- Number: US 12,183,560 B2
- Document ID: US12183560B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/109,130
- Filed: 2023-02-13
- Published: 2023-06-15
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2020-12-14
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Kirankumar Neelasandra Savandaiah; Shane Lavan; Sundarapandian Ramalinga Vijayalakshmi Reddy; Randal Dean Schmieding; Yong Cao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183560B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/3441: {Dark space shields}
- C23C 14/0063: {characterised by means for introducing or removing gases}
- C23C 14/28: by wave energy or particle radiation (C23C14/32 - C23C14/48 take precedence)
- C23C 14/34: Sputtering
- C23C 14/35: by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering {(C23C14/3457 takes precedence)}
- C23C 14/564: {Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases}
- H01J 37/32504: {Means for preventing sputtering of the vessel}
- H01J 37/3411: {Constructional aspects of the reactor}
- H01J 37/3447: {Collimators, shutters, apertures}
- H01J 37/3488: {Constructional details of particle beam apparatus not otherwise provided for, e.g. arrangement, mounting, housing, environment; special provisions for cleaning or maintenance of the apparatus}
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)

## Abstract

Embodiments of process shield for use in process chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process shield for use in a process chamber includes: an annular body having an upper portion and a lower portion extending downward and radially inward from the upper portion, wherein the upper portion includes a plurality of annular trenches on an upper surface thereof and having a plurality of slots disposed therebetween to fluidly couple the plurality of annular trenches, wherein one or more inlets extend from an outer surface of the annular body to an outermost trench of the plurality of annular trenches.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process shield for use in a process chamber, comprising:
an annular body having an upper portion and a lower portion extending downward and radially inward from the upper portion, wherein the upper portion includes a plurality of trenches on an upper surface thereof and having a plurality of slots disposed therebetween to fluidly couple the plurality of trenches, wherein one or more inlets extend from an outer surface of the annular body to a radially outermost trench of the plurality of trenches, and wherein the upper surface of the annular body includes a recess to accommodate an isolator ring, and the plurality of trenches extend downward from a bottom surface of the recess.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process shield of claim 1, wherein the plurality of slots between adjacent ones of the plurality of trenches increase in number from the radially outermost trench to a radially innermost trench.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process shield of claim 2, wherein the plurality of trenches include a second trench and a third trench disposed between the radially outermost trench and the radially innermost trench.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process shield of claim 1, wherein the one or more inlets comprise four inlets.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process shield of claim 1, wherein the plurality of trenches are curved.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process shield of claim 1, wherein the upper portion includes a coolant channel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process shield of claim 1, wherein the plurality of trenches have a width of about 0.05 inches to about 0.2 inches.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process shield of claim 1, wherein the upper portion includes an o-ring groove radially outward of the plurality of trenches.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process shield of claim 1, wherein the lower portion includes a first leg extending downward from the upper portion, a first ledge extending radially inward from the first leg and an inner lip extending upward from the first ledge, wherein the first leg has no through holes.

### Claim 10

A process kit for use in a process chamber, comprising:
a process shield having an upper portion and a lower portion extending downward and radially inward from the upper portion, wherein the upper portion includes a plurality of trenches disposed at different radial positions on an upper surface thereof and having a plurality of slots disposed therebetween to fluidly couple the plurality of trenches, wherein one or more inlets extend from an outer surface of the process shield to a radially outermost trench of the plurality of trenches, and an inner ring of the process shield is disposed radially inward of a radially innermost trench of the plurality of trenches has a continuous processing volume facing surface; and
a cover ring having an annular body disposed on the process shield.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The process kit of claim 10, further comprising one or more centering bushings coupled to the process shield to center the cover ring to the process shield.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The process kit of claim 11, wherein the cover ring includes an outer leg and an inner leg extending downward from the annular body, and wherein the outer leg includes one or more slots for accommodating the one or more centering bushings.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The process kit of claim 11, wherein the one or more centering bushings comprise three bushings.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The process kit of claim 10 wherein the plurality of slots between adjacent ones of the plurality of trenches increase in number from the radially outermost trench to a radially innermost trench.

### Claim 15

A process chamber, comprising:
a chamber body having an interior volume therein;
a substrate support disposed in the interior volume;
a target disposed in the interior volume opposite the substrate support to at least partially define a process volume therebetween;
a process shield disposed about the substrate support and the target to define an outer boundary of the process volume, wherein the process shield and the target define a dark space gap therebetween, and wherein the process shield includes a plurality of trenches with a plurality of slots disposed therebetween to fluidly couple the plurality of trenches to the dark space gap; and
an isolator ring disposed between the target and the process shield, and a gas flow path extending between an inner sidewall of the isolator ring and an outer sidewall of the process shield adjacent an innermost of the plurality of trenches.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The process chamber of claim 15, further comprising a first gas supply for flowing one or more gases from the first gas supply through the plurality of trenches to the dark space gap.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The process chamber of claim 15, wherein the process shield includes a recess on an upper surface thereof, wherein the plurality of trenches extend from the recess, and wherein the isolator ring is disposed in the recess.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The process chamber of claim 15, further comprising a cover ring disposed on the process shield and one or more centering bushings coupled to the process shield to center the cover ring to the process shield.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The process chamber of claim 15, wherein the process shield includes a coolant channel configured to flow a coolant therethrough.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The process chamber of claim 15, wherein a gap between an inner surface of the isolator ring and an opposing surface of the process shield is about 0.02 inches to about 0.1 inches.