# US 6,051,122 A · Deposition shield assembly for a semiconductor wafer processing system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,051,122 A - Document ID: US6051122A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/917,673 - Filed: 1997-08-21 - Granted: 2000-04-18 - Earliest claimed: 1997-08-21 - Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Allen Flanigan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6051122A ## CPC - H01J 37/32431: {Constructional details of the reactor} - C23C 16/4585: {Devices at or outside the perimeter of the substrate support, e.g. clamping rings, shrouds} - C23C 16/4586: {Elements in the interior of the support, e.g. electrodes, heating or cooling devices} - H10P 72/72: using electrostatic chucks - H01J 2237/0213: Avoiding deleterious effects due to interactions between particles and tube elements - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - 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) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A readily removable deposition shield assembly for processing chambers such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), ion implantation, or physical vapor deposition (PVD) or sputtering chambers, is disclosed. The shield assembly includes a shield member which is mounted to the chamber for easy removal, such as by screws, and defines a space along the periphery of the substrate support. A shadow ring is inserted into the peripheral space and is thus mounted in removable fashion and is automatically centered about the substrate by an alignment ring. The alignment ring removably rests upon a flange extending from the outer periphery of an electrostatic chuck. The shadow ring overlaps the cylindrical shield member, the alignment ring and the peripheral edge of a substrate retained by the chuck. Collectively, these components prevent deposition on the chamber and hardware outside the processing region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Apparatus comprising: an electrostatic chuck having a support surface for supporting a substrate and having a flange extending from an outer edge of the electrostatic chuck; alignment ring, circumscribing said support surface and removably supported by said flange, for shielding said electrostatic chuck; a shadow ring, circumscribing said support surface and removably supported by said alignment ring, having a roof portion that overhangs a peripheral edge surface of said substrate and defines a labyrinth gap between said alignment ring and said shadow ring. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said alignment ring is annular and has a surface that abuts a centering flange of the shadow ring to align said shadow ring with respect to said electrostatic chuck. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an annular shield member having a mating flange that interacts with said shadow ring. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electrostatic chuck further comprises at least one electrode embedded within a chuck body fabricated of a ceramic material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said chuck body is fabricated of aluminum-nitride. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said shadow ring is fabricated of alumina. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said alignment ring is fabricated of alumina. ### Claim 8 A deposition chamber shield assembly for restricting the deposition of materials on internal chamber components during processing of a substrate in the deposition chamber, comprising: a shield member extending circumferentially around the substrate to prevent deposition on the deposition chamber regions shielded by said shield member during processing of the substrate in the deposition chamber; an alignment ring circumscribing an electrostatic chuck having a support surface for supporting the substrate and having a flange extending from the outer edge of the electrostatic chuck, the alignment ring is removably supported by said flange, for shielding said electrostatic chuck; and a shadow ring extending from the shield member over an outer edge of the alignment ring and overhanging an edge of the substrate, said shadow ring defining a labyrinth gap between the shadow ring and the alignment ring to prevent the passage of deposition materials past the edge of substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The deposition chamber shield assembly of claim 8 wherein said alignment ring is annular and has a surface that abuts a centering flange of the shadow ring to align said shadow ring with respect to the electrostatic chuck. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The deposition chamber shield assembly of claim 8 further comprising an annular shield member having a mating flange that interacts with said shadow ring. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said electrostatic chuck further comprises at least one electrode embedded within a chuck body fabricated of a ceramic material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said chuck body is fabricated of aluminum-nitride. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said shadow ring is fabricated of alumina. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said alignment ring is fabricated of alumina. ### Claim 15 An apparatus comprising: an electrostatic chuck having a support surface for supporting a substrate and having a flange extending from the outer edge of the electrostatic chuck; an alignment ring, removably circumscribing said support surface and supported by said flange, said alignment ring having an upper surface below the plane of said support surface; a shadow ring, removably circumscribing said support surface, said shadow ring disposed above and covering said alignment ring. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said alignment ring is annular, said support surface of said alignment ring abutting a centering flange of said shadow ring to align said shadow ring with respect to said electrostatic chuck. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising an annular shield member having a mating flange that interacts with said shadow ring. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said electrostatic chuck further comprises at least one electrode embedded within a chuck body fabricated of a ceramic material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said chuck body is fabricated of aluminum-nitride. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said shadow ring and said alignment ring are fabricated of alumina.