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US 12,644,184 B2Granted
Tunable hardware to control radial flow distribution in a processing chamber
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsSanjeev Baluja, Muhannad Mustafa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Gas distribution assemblies comprising a backing plate, a first enclosure with an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of an opening in the center of the backing plate. A top plate is connected to the top of the first enclosure. A compressible seal surrounds the first enclosure connecting the top plate to the backing plate outside the opening in the backing plate. An actuator is connected to the backing plate and the top plate to move the top plate closer to and further from the backing plate. A plunger extends through the opening in the center of the first enclosure. Methods of controlling a flow profile are also disclosed.
Claims20
A gas distribution assembly comprising:
- a backing plate having an opening in a center thereof;
- a faceplate attached to the backing plate and forming a plenum between the faceplate and the backing plate
- a first enclosure having an inner diameter and outer diameter defining a wall thickness, a top having an opening in a center thereof and an open bottom with a bottom face configured to allow a reactant to exit therethrough, the outer diameter of the first enclosure being smaller than an outer diameter of the opening in the center of the backing plate, providing a gap between the outer diameter of the first enclosure and the outer diameter of the opening;
- a top plate connected to the top of the first enclosure;
- a compressible seal surrounding the first enclosure, the compressible seal extending between and connecting the top plate to the backing plate outside the opening in the backing plate and allowing movement of the top plate closer to and further from the backing plate, the compressible seal configured to prevent gas from leaking from inside the first enclosure to outside the compressible seal;
- an actuator connected to the backing plate and the top plate, the actuator configured to move the top plate closer to and further from the backing plate;
- and
- a plunger extending through the opening in the center of the first enclosure, the plunger having a plunger top with a plunger top bottom face and a plunger body having an outer diameter, the plunger having a length extending from a plunger top bottom face to a plunger body bottom face, and the plunger being movable and configured to change a center to edge pressure distribution above the faceplate.
5 more elements
A gas distribution assembly comprising:
- a backing plate having an opening in a center thereof, the backing plate having a front surface and a back surface;
- a faceplate attached to the backing plate, the faceplate having a back surface spaced a distance from the front surface of the backing plate to form a plenum;
- a first enclosure having an inner diameter and outer diameter defining a wall thickness, a top having an opening in a center thereof and an open bottom with a bottom face configured to allow a reactant to exit therethrough, the outer diameter of the first enclosure being in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm smaller than an outer diameter of the opening in the center of the backing plate, providing a gap between the outer diameter of the first enclosure and the outer diameter of the opening;
- a top plate connected to the top of the first enclosure, the top plate having an opening aligned with the opening in the top of the first enclosure, the top plate having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- a compressible seal surrounding the first enclosure, the compressible seal extending between and connecting the top plate to the backing plate outside the opening in the backing plate and allowing movement of the top plate closer to and further from the back surface of the backing plate, the compressible seal configured to prevent gas from leaking from inside the first enclosure to outside the compressible seal;
- an actuator connected to the backing plate and the top plate, the actuator configured to move the top plate closer to and further from the back surface of the backing plate;
- a plunger extending through the opening in the center of the first enclosure, the plunger having a plunger top with a plurality of apertures extending therethrough, the plunger top having a plunger top bottom face in contact with the top surface of the top plate, the plunger including a plunger body having an outer diameter, the plunger having a length extending from the plunger top bottom face to a plunger body bottom face, the length of the plunger sufficient to allow the plunger body bottom face to extend beyond the bottom face of the first enclosure by a distance in the range of 2-3 mm, and the plunger being movable and configured to change a center to edge pressure distribution above the faceplate;
- and
- a distance sensor configured to measure a distance between the top plate and the backing plate.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.