# US 12,601,053 B2 · Dog bone exhaust slit tunnel for processing chambers

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- Number: US 12,601,053 B2
- Document ID: US12601053B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/955,785
- Filed: 2022-09-29
- Published: 2024-04-04
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2022-09-29
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Vishwas Kumar Pandey; Ala Moradian; Zhepeng Cong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12601053B2

## CPC

- C23C 16/4412: {Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps}
- H10P 72/0402: {Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence)}
- 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)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A processing chamber is disclosed and includes a chamber body. The chamber body has a first side, a second side opposite the first side, a window assembly, and a base. The first and second side, the window assembly and the base define a thermal processing region. A flow assembly is disposed adjacent the first side and configured to introduce a processing gas into the thermal processing region. An exhaust slit assembly is disposed adjacent the second side. The exhaust slit assembly has an opening exposed to the thermal processing region. The opening having a center and an outer edge of the opening. The center of the opening and edge of the opening vertically defined between the window assembly and the base. Wherein an outer height at the edge of the opening is at least 30% larger in a vertical direction than a center height at the center of the opening.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A processing chamber, comprising:
a chamber body, wherein the chamber body comprises:
a first side;
a second side opposite the first side;
an upper window having an optically transparent window; and
a base, wherein the first side, the second side, the upper window and the base define and enclose a thermal processing region;
a gas injectors disposed adjacent the first side, wherein the gas injectors is configured to introduce a processing gas into the thermal processing region; and
an exhaust slit assembly disposed adjacent to the second side, the exhaust slit assembly comprising:
an opening exposed to the thermal processing region, the opening having a center and outer edges, the center of the opening and outer edges of the opening vertically defined between the upper window and the base, and wherein an outer height at the outer edges of the opening is at least 30% larger in a vertical direction than a center height at the center of the opening, and wherein the opening has a rectangular shape at the outer edges and is curved through the center between the outer edges.

### Claim 2

A processing chamber, comprising:
a chamber body, wherein the chamber body comprises:
a first side;
a second side opposite the first side;
an upper window having an optically transparent window; and
a base, wherein the first side, the second side, the upper window and the base define and enclose a thermal processing region;
a gas injectors disposed adjacent the first side, wherein the gas injectors is configured to introduce a processing gas into the thermal processing region; and
an exhaust slit assembly disposed adjacent to the second side, the exhaust slit assembly comprising:
an opening exposed to the thermal processing region, the opening having a center and an outer edge of the opening, the center of the opening and edge of the opening vertically defined between the upper window and the base, and wherein an outer height at the edge of the opening is at least 30% larger in a vertical direction than a center height at the center of the opening, wherein the opening comprises:
a blocker plate disposed at the center of the opening.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the center height of the opening to the outer height of the opening is between about 30% to about 80%.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the center height of the opening to the outer height of the opening is between about 30% to about 40%.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the center height of the opening to the outer height is between about 50% to about 70%.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the opening further comprises:
a left side;
a left center;
a right center; and
a right side, wherein the left side and the right side have a rectangular shape, and the left center and the right center has a trapezoid shape with curved legs between two bases.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The processing chamber of claim 6, wherein the left side and the right side each extend between about 25% to about 35% of a distance from the outer edges to the center, and wherein the left center and the right center each extend between about 75% to about 65% of a distance from the center to the outer edges.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The processing chamber of claim 6, wherein the left side, left center, right center and right side form a dog-bone shape.

### Claim 9

An exhaust slit assembly comprising:
a body, the body having an elongated opening configured to receive gas, the elongated opening having a dog bone shape, wherein the elongated opening has a center height of the opening disposed at a center of the elongated opening and an outer height of the opening disposed along outer edges of the elongated opening, wherein the outer height of the opening is at least 30% larger vertically than the center height of the opening, wherein the elongated opening has a rectangular shape at the outer edges and is curved through the center between the outer edges.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The exhaust slit assembly of claim 9, wherein the dog bone shape of the elongated opening is asymmetrical with a left edge of the outer edges of the opening and a right edge of the outer edges of the opening are not equal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The exhaust slit assembly of claim 9, wherein a ratio of the center height of the opening to the outer height of the opening is between about 30% to about 80%.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The exhaust slit assembly of claim 9, wherein a ratio of the center height of the opening to the outer height is between about 30% to about 40%.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The exhaust slit assembly of claim 9, wherein a ratio of the center height of the opening to the outer height is between about 50% to about 70%.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The exhaust slit assembly of claim 9, wherein a ratio of the center height of the opening to the outer height is about 0%.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The exhaust slit assembly of claim 9, wherein the elongated opening further comprises:
a left side;
a left center;
a right center; and
a right side, wherein the left side and the right side have a rectangular shape, and the left center and the right center has a trapezoid shape with curved legs between two bases.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The exhaust slit assembly of claim 15, wherein the left side and the right side each extend about 30% of a distance from the outer edges outer edge to the center, and wherein the left center and the right center each extend about 70% of a distance from the center to the outer edges.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

A method for thermally processing a substrate, the method comprising:
flowing a processing gas into a processing chamber through a first opening and into a processing region containing a substrate;
flowing the processing gas laterally across the substrate from the first opening towards the exhaust slit assembly of claim 9;
heating the substrate in the presence of the processing gas; and
depositing a layer of material on the heated substrate in the presence of the processing gas.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 further comprising:
flowing the process gas past a blocker plate disposed at the middle of the opening.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the opening has an outer height and a center height, and wherein a ratio of the center height to the outer height is between about 30% to about 80%.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 further comprising:
changing the conductance of the opening by changing the center height of the opening.