# US 12,595,561 B2 · Showerhead and substrate processing apparatus using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,595,561 B2 - Document ID: US12595561B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/950,254 - Filed: 2022-09-22 - Published: 2023-03-30 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2021-09-27 - Assignees: ASM IP Holding B.V. - Applicants: ASM IP Holding B.V. - Inventors: KyungEun Lee; HaRim Kim; IkDu Nam - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12595561B2 ## CPC - C23C 16/45565: {Shower nozzles} - C23C 16/45544: {characterized by the apparatus} - 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 A showerhead for supplying a gas includes a showerhead body having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface, and a plurality of through-holes formed in the showerhead body so that the gas passes through from the upper surface toward the lower surface, wherein a size of a cross-sectional area of each through-hole of the plurality of through-holes in the lower surface is the same, while the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface increases from a center of the showerhead toward an edge thereof. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A showerhead for supplying a gas, comprising: a showerhead body having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface; and a plurality of through-holes formed in the showerhead body so that the gas passes through from the upper surface toward the lower surface, wherein a size of a cross-sectional area of each through-hole of the plurality of through-holes in the lower surface is the same as each other, while the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface increases from a center of the showerhead toward an edge thereof, wherein the showerhead is classified into a central region and at least one external region, the central region having a predetermined radius including the center of the showerhead in which a portion of the plurality of through-holes are formed, and the at least one external region arranged in a ring shape consecutively in a radial direction from outside of the central region in which another portion of the plurality of through-holes are formed, and wherein a size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the external region is greater than a size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the central region, and wherein a size of a cross-sectional area of holes in at least a sub-through-hole group of the external region decreases linearly from the upper surface to the lower surface thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The showerhead of claim 1, wherein the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole of the plurality of through-holes in the at least one external region increases linearly from the center of the showerhead toward the edge thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The showerhead of claim 1, wherein each through-hole in the external region is radially substantially equally spaced apart. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The showerhead of claim 1, wherein the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the central region is the same as each other, and the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the external region is also the same as each other. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The showerhead of claim 1, wherein the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the central region increases from the center of the showerhead toward the edge thereof, and the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the external region also increases from the center of the showerhead toward the edge thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The showerhead of claim 1, wherein the external region includes a first external region surrounding an outer periphery of the central region and a second external region surrounding the outer periphery of the first external region, and the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the second external region is greater than the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the first external region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The showerhead of claim 6, wherein the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the external region is greater than the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the lower surface in the external region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The showerhead of claim 7, wherein the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the central region is at least the same as the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the lower surface in the central region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The showerhead of claim 7, wherein the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the external region decreases linearly from the upper surface to the lower surface thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The showerhead of claim 7, wherein, in the external region, the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole decreases step by step, including at least one step from the upper surface toward the lower surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The showerhead of claim 7, wherein, in the external region, the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole is constant to a predetermined depth from the upper surface of the showerhead body and thereafter decreases linearly from the predetermined depth to the lower surface thereof. ### Claim 12 A showerhead for supplying a gas comprising: a showerhead body having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface; and a plurality of through-holes formed in the showerhead body so that the gas passes through from the upper surface toward the lower surface, wherein a size of a cross-sectional area of each through-hole of the plurality of through-holes in the lower surface is the same as each other, and the size of a volume inside each through-hole of the plurality of through-holes increases from a center of the showerhead toward an edge thereof, wherein each through-hole comprises a conical section terminating at the lower surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The showerhead of claim 12, wherein the size of the volume inside each through-hole of the plurality of through-holes increases linearly from the center of the showerhead toward the edge thereof. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The showerhead of claim 12, wherein the showerhead is classified into a central region and at least one external region, the central region having a predetermined radius including the center of the showerhead in which a portion of the plurality of through-holes are formed, and the at least one external region arranged in a ring shape consecutively in a radial direction from the outside of the central region in which another portion of the plurality of through-holes are formed, and wherein the size of the volume inside each through-hole in the external region is greater than the size of the volume inside each through-hole in the central region, and wherein a size of a cross-sectional area of holes in at least a sub-through-hole group of the external region decreases linearly from the upper surface to the lower surface thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The showerhead of claim 14, wherein the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the external region is greater than the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the central region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The showerhead of claim 14, wherein the size of the volume inside each through-hole in the central region is the same as each other, and the size of the volume inside each through-hole in the external region is also the same as each other. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The showerhead of claim 14, wherein the external region includes a first external region surrounding an outer periphery of the central region and a second external region surrounding the outer periphery of the first external region, and the size of the volume inside each through-hole in the second external region is greater than the size of the volume inside each through-hole in the first external region. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The showerhead of claim 14, wherein the external region includes a first external region surrounding an outer periphery of the central region and a second external region surrounding the outer periphery of the first external region, and the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the second external region is greater than the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface in the first external region. ### Claim 19 A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a reaction chamber; a substrate support positioned in the reaction chamber; and a showerhead positioned above the substrate support for supplying a gas to a reaction space that is formed between the substrate support and the showerhead, wherein the showerhead comprises: a showerhead body having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface; and a plurality of through-holes formed in the showerhead body so that the gas passes through from the upper surface toward the lower surface, wherein a size of a cross-sectional area of each through-hole of the plurality of through-holes in the lower surface is the same as each other, while the size of the cross-sectional area of each through-hole in the upper surface increases from a center of the showerhead toward an edge thereof, and a cross-sectional dimension of each through-hole in an external region decreases linearly from the upper surface to the lower surface thereof. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 19, wherein the size of the volume inside each through-hole of the plurality of through-holes increases from the center of the showerhead toward the edge thereof.