Compression member for use in showerhead electrode assembly
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsDarrell Ehrlich, Daniel Arthur Brown, Ian Kenworthy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A compression member for use in a showerhead electrode assembly of a capacitively coupled plasma chamber. The member applies a compression force to a portion of a film heater adjacent a power supply boot on an upper surface of a thermal control plate and is located between the thermal control plate and a temperature-controlled top plate. The member is composed of an electrically insulating elastomeric material which can work over a large range of compressions and temperatures.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a thermal control plate of a showerhead electrode assembly, the method comprising:
- attaching a film heater to the thermal control plate;
- attaching power supply boots to the thermal control plate such that each power supply boot electrically contacts a respective film heater section;
- attaching compression members to the thermal control plate such that each compression member is adjacent a respective power supply boot and contacts a portion of a respective film heater section.
A method of processing a semiconductor substrate in a capacitively coupled plasma chamber using a showerhead electrode assembly comprising a temperature-controlled showerhead electrode assembly comprising:
- a temperature-controlled top plate;
- a showerhead electrode;
- a thermal control plate attached to the temperature-controlled top plate and showerhead electrode so as to provide a thermal path between the showerhead electrode and the temperature-controlled top plate;
- a film heater on an upper surface of the thermal control plate;
- power supply boots on the thermal control plate and electrically connected to sections of the film heater;
- and
- compression members configured to fit between the temperature-controlled top plate and the thermal control plate such that a lower surface of each compression member contacts an upper surface of the film heater, adjacent a respective power supply boot on the thermal control plate wherein a compression force is applied to a portion of the film heater surrounding each power supply boot, the method comprising:
- transferring a semiconductor substrate into the capacitively coupled plasma chamber;
- supplying process gas to the plasma chamber through the showerhead electrode assembly;
- and
- energizing the process gas into a plasma state and processing the semiconductor substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.