# US 12,183,605 B2 · In-situ semiconductor processing chamber temperature apparatus

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- Number: US 12,183,605 B2
- Document ID: US12183605B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/477,750
- Filed: 2021-09-17
- Published: 2022-03-10
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-19
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Andrew Nguyen; Yogananda Sarode; Xue Chang; Kartik Ramaswamy
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183605B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/0602: {Temperature monitoring}
- H01J 37/3244: {Gas supply means}
- H01J 37/32522: {Temperature}
- H10N 10/13: characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
- C23C 16/4557: {Heated nozzles}
- C23C 16/45572: {Cooled nozzles}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- 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

Methods and systems for in-situ temperature control are provided. The method includes delivering a temperature-sensing disc into a processing region of a processing chamber without breaking vacuum. The temperature-sensing disc includes one or more cameras configured to perform IR-based imaging. The method further includes measuring a temperature of at least one region of at least one chamber surface in the processing region of the processing chamber by imaging the at least one surface using the temperature-sensing disc. The method further includes comparing the measured temperature to a desired temperature to determine a temperature difference. The method further includes adjusting a temperature of the at least one chamber surface to compensate for the temperature difference.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A showerhead assembly, comprising:
a gas distribution plate having a plurality of through-holes operable to deliver process gases to a processing chamber and being divided into a plurality of temperature-control regions;
a bottom plate coupled to the gas distribution plate and comprising a plurality of holes;
bonding layer disposed between the bottom plate and the gas distribution plate;
a plurality of heat control devices disposed above the bottom plate and operable to manage heat transfer independently in each of the plurality of the temperature-control regions, the plurality of the heat control devices comprising a plurality of thermoelectric modules configured to cool and heat the plurality of the temperature-control regions;
a chill plate being a lid of the showerhead assembly and comprising a recess configured to contain containing the plurality of the heat control devices; and a plurality of heat pipes extending from the plurality of the thermoelectric modules into the plurality of the holes of the bottom plate, the plurality of thermoelectric modules comprising a first thermoelectric module being disposed between a first heat pipe and the chill plate, and the bonding layer being disposed between the first heat pipe and the gas distribution plate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The showerhead assembly of claim 1, wherein:
the plurality of thermoelectric modules are operable to control the heat transfer independently in each of the temperature-control regions of the gas distribution plate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The showerhead assembly of claim 2, wherein the thermoelectric modules are arranged in concentric rings, each ring having at least one thermoelectric module that is operable to control the heat transfer independently from another thermoelectric module of an adjacent one of the concentric rings.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The showerhead assembly of claim 3, wherein the thermoelectric modules in each concentric ring are arranged in segments having at least one thermoelectric module that is operable to control the heat transfer independently from another thermoelectric module of an adjacent one of the segments.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The showerhead assembly of claim 3, wherein the thermoelectric modules in each concentric ring are arranged in segments, each segment associated with one of the thermoelectric modules, each thermoelectric module of each segment operable to control the heat transfer independently from other thermoelectric modules.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The showerhead assembly of claim 2, wherein each thermoelectric module is interfaced with at least one heat pipe.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The showerhead assembly of claim 2 wherein:
the thermoelectric modules separating the chill plate from the bottom plate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The showerhead assembly of claim 7, wherein the chill plate comprises a recessed portion, the recessed portion housing the thermoelectric modules.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The showerhead assembly of claim 7, wherein the chill plate is fabricated from aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, or silicon carbide.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The showerhead assembly of claim 2, wherein the thermoelectric modules are arranged in an X/Y pattern of pixels, each pixel having at least one thermoelectric module that is operable to control the heat transfer independently from another thermoelectric module of an adjacent one of the pixels.

### Claim 11

A showerhead assembly, comprising:
a gas distribution plate having a plurality of through-holes operable to deliver process gases to a processing chamber and being divided into a plurality of temperature-control regions;
a bottom plate coupled to the gas distribution plate and comprising a plurality of holes;
a bonding layer disposed between the gas distribution plate and the bottom plate;
a plurality of independently addressable thermoelectric modules disposed above the bottom plate and operable to manage heat transfer independently in each of the plurality of the temperature-control regions, the plurality of the thermoelectric modules being configured to cool and heat the temperature-control regions;
a chill plate being a lid of the showerhead assembly and comprising a recess portion housing the plurality of the thermoelectric modules, the thermoelectric modules separating the chill plate from the gas distribution plate; and
a plurality of heat pipes extending from the plurality of the thermoelectric modules into the plurality of the holes of the bottom plate, the plurality of thermoelectric modules comprising a first thermoelectric module being disposed between a first heat pipe and the chill plate, and the bonding layer being disposed between the first heat pipe and the gas distribution plate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The showerhead assembly of claim 11, wherein the thermoelectric modules are arranged in concentric rings, each ring having at least one thermoelectric module that is operable to control the heat transfer independently from another thermoelectric module of an adjacent one of the rings.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The showerhead assembly of claim 12, wherein the thermoelectric modules in each concentric ring are arranged in segments having at least one thermoelectric module that is operable to control the heat transfer independently from another thermoelectric module of an adjacent one of the segments.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The showerhead assembly of claim 12, wherein the thermoelectric modules in each concentric ring are arranged in segments, each segment associated with one of the thermoelectric modules, each thermoelectric module of each segment operable to control the heat transfer independently from other thermoelectric modules.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The showerhead assembly of claim 12, wherein each thermoelectric module is interfaced with at least one heat pipe extending between the thermoelectric modules and the gas distribution plate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The showerhead assembly of claim 11, wherein the thermoelectric modules are arranged in an X/Y pattern of pixels, each pixel having at least one thermoelectric module that is operable to control the heat transfer independently from another thermoelectric module of an adjacent one of the pixels.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The showerhead assembly of claim 16, wherein each thermoelectric module is interfaced with at least one heat pipe.