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US 2009/0260571 A1Published application
Showerhead for chemical vapor deposition
AssigneeNovellus Systems, Inc.
InventorsJohn Ostrowski, Percy Verdeflor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A CVD showerhead is connected to a chamber top via a leveling assembly. The leveling assembly allows the showerhead to pivot when a bellows in the leveling assembly is adjusted from outside the chamber. With the improved showerhead, leveling calibration can occur from outside of the chamber without having to pressurize and open the chamber top. Thus downtime is reduced.
Claims19
A showerhead apparatus comprising:
- (a) a showerhead comprising a face, a back plate attached to the face, a stem attached to the back plate, and a stem flange on the stem;
- and,
- (b) a leveling assembly comprising a bellows having a recessed feature to receive the stem flange;
- wherein the bellows is attached to a chamber top plate and is configured to permit pivoting of the showerhead apparatus.
1 more element
A PECVD chamber comprising:
- (a) a wafer support;
- (b) a top plate;
- (c) a showerhead having a face, a back plate, and a stem, said stem attached to the top plate through a leveling assembly, said leveling assembly comprising:
- i) a joint attached to the top plate and the stem, said joint configured to permit pivoting of the stem;
- and
- ii) a showerhead flange configured to lock the joint in a position.
- wherein the only engagement of the showerhead with the top plate is via the stem and the stem is electrically insulated from the top plate.
4 more elements
A showerhead comprising:
- (a) a face;
- (b) a back plate attached to the face;
- (c) a stem attached to the back plate;
- (d) a stem flange on the stem located distally from the back plate, said stem flange configured to pass through a recessed engagement feature in one angular orientation and to rigidly engage the recessed engagement feature in another angular orientation.
1 more element
A method of leveling a showerhead in a deposition chamber, said method comprising:
- (a) positioning a gapping tool on a wafer support;
- (b) leveling the showerhead by pivoting a stem relative to the chamber top from the exterior of the chamber;
- and,
- (c) locking the showerhead in position.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.