# US 2014/0154888 A1 · Showerhead electrode assemblies for plasma processing apparatuses > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154888 A1 - Document ID: US20140154888A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/170,732 - Filed: 2014-02-03 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2008-06-09 - Assignees: Lam Research Corporation - Applicants: Lam Research Corporation - Inventors: Tom Stevenson; Rajinder Dhindsa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154888A1 ## CPC - H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials} - C23C 16/45565: {Shower nozzles} - C23C 16/52: Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)} - H01J 37/32091: {the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma} - H01J 37/32532: {Electrodes} - H01J 37/32541: {Shape} - H01J 37/32568: {Relative arrangement or disposition of electrodes; moving means} - H01J 37/32605: {Removable or replaceable electrodes or electrode systems} - H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - 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) - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract Showerhead electrode assemblies are disclosed, which include a showerhead electrode adapted to be mounted in an interior of a vacuum chamber; an optional backing plate attached to the showerhead electrode; a thermal control plate attached to the backing plate or to the showerhead electrode at multiple contact regions across the backing plate; and at least one interface member separating the backing plate and the thermal control plate, or the thermal control plate and showerhead electrode, at the contact regions, the interface member having a thermally and electrically conductive gasket portion and a particle mitigating seal portion. Methods of processing semiconductor substrates using the showerhead electrode assemblies are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 (canceled) ### Claim 2 (depends on 18) The showerhead electrode assembly of claim 18, wherein the contact regions comprise spaced apart annular projections on a lower surface of the thermal control plate, the interface members comprising a plurality of annular interface members sized to cover the annular projections, the particle mitigating seal portion bounding the thermally and electrically conductive gasket portion at an outward perimeter and an inward aperture of each interface member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The showerhead electrode assembly of claim 2, wherein the particle mitigating seal portion located at the outward perimeter has a curved surface and protrudes from the electrically conductive gasket portion and the particle mitigating seal portion located at the inward aperture has a curved surface and protrudes from the thermally and electrically conductive gasket portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 18) The showerhead electrode assembly of claim 18, wherein the thermal control plate is of non-anodized aluminum, the thermally and electrically conductive gasket portion of the interface member is a laminate of metal and polymer materials, and the particle mitigating seal portion of the interface member comprise an erosion resistant elastomer or polymer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 18) The showerhead electrode assembly of claim 18, wherein the showerhead electrode comprises an inner electrode and an outer electrode, and the inner electrode is a circular plate of single crystal silicon and the outer electrode is a ring electrode comprised of a plurality of segments of single crystal silicon. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The showerhead electrode assembly of claim 3, further comprising baffle rings of anodized aluminum in plenums between the annular projections, each baffle ring including a vertical wall adjacent one of the annular projections, the vertical walls including offsets at lower ends thereof adjacent the contact regions, and each particle mitigating seal portion located in one of the offsets so as to form seals on opposite sides of the contact regions. ### Claim 7 (canceled) ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The showerhead electrode assembly of claim 6, wherein upper ends of the vertical walls of the baffle rings are separated from a lower surface of the thermal control plate by shims having about the same thickness as the thermally and electrically conductive gasket portion of the interface member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 18) The showerhead electrode assembly of claim 18, further comprising thermal chokes on an upper surface of the thermal control plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 18) The showerhead electrode assembly of claim 18, wherein the interface member is free of silver, nickel and copper, and the contact regions cover about 1% to about 30% of the surface area of the backing plate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 18) A vacuum chamber comprising the showerhead electrode assembly of claim 18, further comprising: a temperature controller controlling a temperature of a showerhead electrode assembly; a power supply adapted to supply power to a heater which heats the thermal control plate in thermal response to the temperature controller; a fluid control adapted to supply fluid to a temperature controlled top wall of the chamber in response to the temperature controller; and a temperature sensor arrangement adapted to measure the temperature of one or more portions of the showerhead electrode and supply information to the temperature controller, wherein the top wall of the vacuum chamber is optionally electrically grounded. ### Claim 12 (depends on 18) The showerhead electrode assembly of claim 18, wherein the showerhead electrode includes a silicon electrode plate with gas outlets on one side thereof and the opposite side thereof elastomer bonded to a backing plate which is of non-anodized aluminum. ### Claim 13 (depends on 18) A method of controlling plasma etching in a plasma etching chamber, comprising: supplying process gas to the plasma etching chamber through the showerhead electrode assembly of claim 18, the process gas flowing into a gap between the showerhead electrode and a bottom electrode on which a semiconductor substrate is supported; and etching a semiconductor substrate in the plasma etching chamber by applying RF power to the showerhead electrode and energizing the process gas into a plasma state, wherein the temperature of the showerhead electrode is controlled by the thermal control plate via enhanced thermal conduction through the thermally and electrically conductive gasket portion of the interface members. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising heating of the showerhead electrode to a temperature of at least about 80° C. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the heating of the showerhead electrode comprises heating and maintaining the showerhead electrode at a temperature of at least about 100° C. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the heating of the showerhead electrode comprises heating and maintaining the showerhead electrode at a temperature of at least about 180° C. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the heating of the showerhead electrode occurs before the etching of the semiconductor substrate, and the etching comprises etching openings defined by a patterned photoresist in an oxide layer on the semiconductor substrate, the openings being defined by a patterned photoresist. ### Claim 18 A showerhead electrode assembly, comprising: a showerhead electrode adapted to be mounted in an interior of a vacuum chamber; a thermal control plate attached to the showerhead electrode at multiple contact regions across the showerhead electrode with plenums between the thermal control plate and the showerhead electrode located between the contact regions; and interface members between the showerhead electrode and the thermal control plate, at the contact regions, wherein each interface member comprises a thermally and electrically conductive gasket portion bounded on a periphery by a particle mitigating seal portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The showerhead electrode assembly of claim 18, wherein: the contact regions comprise surfaces of spaced-apart annular projections provided on a lower surface of the thermal control plate, the contact regions cover about 1% to about 30% of the surface area of the backing plate; the interface members comprise an annular interface member located between each of the annular projections and an upper surface of the electrode; the thermally and electrically conductive gasket portion of the interface members are composed of a laminate of metal and polymer materials free of silver, nickel and copper; and the particle mitigating seal portion of the interface members bound an outer perimeter and an inner aperture of each thermally and electrically conductive gasket portion, and are comprised of silicone. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The showerhead electrode assembly of claim 19, wherein: the showerhead electrode comprises an inner electrode and an outer electrode, the inner electrode is a circular plate of single crystal silicon and the outer electrode is a ring electrode comprised of a plurality of segments of single crystal silicon; the particle mitigating seal portions of the interface members have a curved surface and protrude from the outward perimeter and inward aperture of each thermally and electrically conductive gasket portion; and the showerhead electrode assembly further comprises: baffle rings of anodized aluminum in plenums between the annular projections, each baffle ring including a vertical wall adjacent one of the annular projections, the vertical walls including offsets at lower ends thereof adjacent the contact regions; and the particle mitigating seal portions located in the offsets so as to form seals on opposite sides of the contact regions, wherein upper ends of the vertical walls of the baffle rings are separated from a lower surface of the thermal control plate by shims having about the same thickness as the thermally and electrically conductive gasket portions of the interface members. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The showerhead electrode assembly of claim 19, wherein the thermal control plate has an anodized outer surface except at the contact regions which are of non-anodized aluminum.