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US 2022/0010431 A1Published application
Multiple-channel showerhead design and methods in manufacturing
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsKazuya DAITO, Ravi JALLEPALLY, Harpreet SINGH
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing a gas distribution apparatus are described herein. More specifically, a method and apparatus for producing triple-channel gas distribution apparatus is described herein. The gas distribution apparatus described herein includes an upper plate, a middle plate, and a lower plate. The middle plate and the lower plate are machined before all of the upper plate, the middle plate, and the lower plate are bonded. Additional machining is then performed on the gas distribution apparatus. The gas distribution apparatus is used to distribute three or more process gases into a processing chamber.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a gas distribution apparatus comprising:
- forming a lower plate by a process comprising:
- forming a plurality of first passages through a body portion of the lower plate;
- and
- forming a plurality of second passages through the body portion of the lower plate, wherein the lower plate has a top surface and a bottom surface that is opposite to the top surface, and the plurality of first passages and the plurality of second passages both extend from the top surface to the bottom surface;
- forming a middle plate by a process comprising:
- forming one or more first lower channels on a bottom surface of a body portion of the middle plate, wherein the bottom surface is opposite to a top surface of the middle plate;
- forming one or more second lower channels on the bottom surface of the body portion of the middle plate;
- forming a first upper channel on the top surface of the body portion of the middle plate;
- forming a second upper channel on the top surface of the body portion of the middle plate;
- forming a plurality of first connection passages between the first lower channels and the first upper channel;
- and
- forming a plurality of second connection passages between the second lower channels and the second upper channel;
- bonding the top surface of the lower plate to the bottom surface of the middle plate and the top surface of the middle plate to a bottom surface of an upper plate to form a coupled gas distribution apparatus, wherein the bottom surface of the upper plate is opposite to a top surface of the upper plate;
- and
- forming a plurality of main passages through the coupled gas distribution apparatus, wherein the plurality of main passages extend from a top surface of the upper plate to the bottom surface of the lower plate.
12 more elements
A gas distribution apparatus comprising:
- a lower plate, the lower plate further comprising:
- a plurality of first passages;
- and
- a plurality of second passages;
- a middle plate bonded to the lower plate, the middle plate further comprising:
- a top surface;
- a bottom surface;
- a one or more first lower channels disposed within the bottom surface;
- a one or more second lower channels disposed within the bottom surface;
- a first upper channel disposed within the top surface;
- a second upper channel disposed within the top surface;
- a plurality of first connection passages between the first lower channels and the first upper channel;
- and
- a plurality of second connection passages between the second lower channels and the second upper channel;
- and
- an upper plate bonded to the middle plate;
- and
- a plurality of main passages disposed through each of the lower plate, the middle plate, and the upper plate.
15 more elements
A method of manufacturing a gas distribution apparatus comprising:
- forming a plurality of main passages through a coupled gas distribution apparatus, wherein the coupled gas distribution apparatus comprises a lower plate that is bonded to a bottom surface of a middle plate and an upper plate that is bonded to a top surface of the middle plate, and the plurality of main passages extend through the upper plate, the middle plate and the lower plate,
- wherein the upper plate comprises:
- a plurality of first passages extending through a body portion of the lower plate;
- and
- a plurality of second passages extending through the body portion of the lower plate, and
- wherein the middle plate comprises:
- one or more first lower channels that are formed on the bottom surface of the middle plate;
- one or more second lower channels that are formed on the bottom surface of the middle plate;
- a first upper channel on the top surface of the middle plate;
- a second upper channel on the top surface of the middle plate;
- a plurality of first connection passages between the first lower channels and the first upper channel;
- and
- a plurality of second connection passages between the second lower channels and the second upper channel.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.