# US 2019/0244841 A1 · Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0244841 A1 - Document ID: US20190244841A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/389,444 - Filed: 2019-04-19 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-20 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. - Inventors: CHAO-TZUNG TSAI; TZU KEN LIN; I-CHANG WU; CHING-LUN LAI; LI-JIA LIOU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190244841A1 ## CPC - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - C23C 16/4405: {Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases} - C23C 16/52: Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)} - 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) ## Abstract A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes an air distributor inside a chamber. The air distributor includes a first annular plate and a second annular plate disposed in an interior volume of the chamber, and an inner surface of the first annular plate and an inner surface of the second annular plate are connected to each other. A hollow region is defined by the first annular plate and the second annular plate. A gas through hole is extended from an outer surface of the first annular plate to the inner surface of the first annular plate. A plurality of ditches are between the inner surface of the first annular plate and the inner surface of the second annular plate, wherein the ditches are connected with the gas through hole and extended from the gas through hole to the hollow region to blow gas toward the hollow region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a chamber; and an air distributor inside a chamber, wherein the air distributor includes: a first annular plate and a second annular plate disposed in an interior volume of the chamber, wherein an inner surface of the first annular plate and an inner surface of the second annular plate are connected to each other; a hollow region defined by the first annular plate and the second annular plate; at least one first gas through hole and at least one second gas through hole extended from an outer surface of the first annular plate to the inner surface of the first annular plate; and a plurality of first ditches and second ditches between the inner surface of the first annular plate and the inner surface of the second annular plate, wherein the first ditches are connected with the at least one first gas through hole and extended from the at least one first gas through hole to the hollow region to blow gas toward the hollow region, and the second ditches are connected with the at least one second gas through hole and extended from the at least one second gas through hole to the hollow region to such gas from the hollow region, wherein the first ditches and the second ditches are arranged symmetrically around edges of the hollow region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the edges of the hollow region comprise tapered edges. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one first gas through hole and the at least second gas through hole are arranged symmetrically. ### Claim 4 A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: an air distributor inside a chamber, wherein the air distributor includes: a first annular plate and a second annular plate disposed in an interior volume of the chamber, wherein an inner surface of the first annular plate and an inner surface of the second annular plate are connected to each other; a hollow region defined by the first annular plate and the second annular plate; at least one gas through hole extended from an outer surface of the first annular plate to the inner surface of the first annular plate; and a plurality of ditches between the inner surface of the first annular plate and the inner surface of the second annular plate, wherein the ditches are connected with the at least one gas through hole and extended from the at least one gas through hole to the hollow region to blow gas toward the hollow region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 4, further comprising: a view port window on a sidewall of the chamber and configured to receive an optical fiber; and an optical emission spectroscopy (OES) external to the chamber and connected with the optical fiber; ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a transparent cover disposed at the view port window. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the air distributor is protruded from a sidewall of the chamber to the interior volume of the chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the air distributor includes anodized non-metallic material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 4, further comprising at least one gas line connected with the at least one gas through hole. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a gas panel connected to the at least one gas through hole and configured to supply gas to the hollow region through the at least one gas line, the at least one gas through hole and the plurality of ditches. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gas panel comprises an inert gas panel configured to supply inert gas to the hollow region through the at least one gas line, the at least one gas through hole and the plurality of ditches. ### Claim 12 A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: an air distributor inside a chamber, wherein the air distributor includes: a first annular plate and a second annular plate disposed in an interior volume of the chamber, wherein an inner surface of the first annular plate and an inner surface of the second annular plate are connected to each other; a hollow region defined by the first annular plate and the second annular plate; at least one first gas through hole and at least one second gas through hole extended from an outer surface of the first annular plate to the inner surface of the first annular plate; and a plurality of first ditches and second ditches between the inner surface of the first annular plate and the inner surface of the second annular plate, wherein the first ditches are connected with the at least one first gas through hole and extended from the at least one first gas through hole to the hollow region to blow gas toward the hollow region, and the second ditches are connected with the at least one second gas through hole and extended from the at least one second gas through hole to the hollow region to such gas from the hollow region. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 12, further comprising: a view port window on a sidewall of the chamber and configured to receive an optical fiber; and an optical emission spectroscopy (OES) external to the chamber and connected with the optical fiber; ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a transparent cover disposed at the view port window. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the air distributor is protruded from a sidewall of the chamber to the interior volume of the chamber. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the air distributor includes anodized non-metallic material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 12, further comprising at least one first gas line connected with the at least one first gas through hole, and at least one second gas line connected with the at least one second gas through hole. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a first gas panel connected to the at least one first gas through hole and configured to supply gas to the hollow region through the at least one first gas line, the at least one first gas through hole and the plurality of first ditches. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first gas panel comprises an inert gas panel configured to supply inert gas to the hollow region through the at least one first gas line, the at least one first gas through hole and the plurality of first ditches. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a second gas panel connected to the at least one second gas through hole and configured to suck gas from the hollow region through the plurality of second ditches, the at least one second gas through hole and the at least one second gas line.