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US 7,484,473 B2Granted
Suspended gas distribution manifold for plasma chamber
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsErnst Keller, Quanyuan Shang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas inlet manifold for a plasma chamber having a perforated gas distribution plate suspended by a side wall comprising one or more sheets. The sheets preferably provide flexibility to alleviate stress in the gas distribution plate due to thermal expansion and contraction. In another aspect, the side wall provides thermal isolation between the gas distribution plate and other components of the chamber.
Claims6
A gas inlet manifold for a plasma chamber, comprising:
- a top wall including a gas inlet orifice;
- a gas distribution plate including a plurality of gas outlet orifices, wherein the gas distribution plate is spaced away from the top wall, and
- a side wall including one or more side wall segments, wherein each side wall segment includes an upper portion, a lower flange, and a vertically oriented sheet extending between the upper portion and the lower flange;
- wherein the upper portion of each side wall segment is connected to the top wall of the gas inlet manifold;
- and
- wherein the gas distribution plate further comprises
- (i) a lip extending radially outward from the perimeter of the gas distribution plate, and
- (ii) a plurality of pins attached to, and extending downward from, the lip of the gas distribution plate;
- wherein the lower flange of each segment of the side wall includes a plurality of holes;
- wherein the lip of the gas distribution plate rests on each lower flange so that each of said pins extends through a corresponding one of said holes;
- and
- wherein each hole has a width that exceeds the width of its corresponding pin so as to permit relative movement between each lower flange and the gas distribution plate.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.