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US 8,317,968 B2Granted
Apparatus including gas distribution member supplying process gas and radio frequency (RF) power for plasma processing
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsRajinder Dhindsa, Eric Lenz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plasma processing apparatus includes a gas distribution member which supplies a process gas and radio frequency (RF) power to a showerhead electrode. The gas distribution member can include multiple gas passages which supply the same process gas or different process gases at the same or different flow rates to one or more plenums at the backside of the showerhead electrode. The gas distribution member provides a desired process gas distribution to be achieved across a semiconductor substrate processed in a gap between the showerhead electrode and a bottom electrode on which the substrate is supported.
Claims13
A showerhead electrode assembly, comprising:
- a showerhead electrode adapted to be mounted below a temperature controlled top wall in an interior of a vacuum chamber and powered by radio frequency (RF) energy;
- a radio frequency (RF) distribution member attached to the showerhead electrode, wherein the RF distribution member includes a first portion adapted to extend axially into an opening in the temperature controlled top wall of the vacuum chamber, and the RF distribution member including a second portion extending laterally over the showerhead electrode, and providing a RF path to multiple contact points across the showerhead electrode, wherein the multiple contact points provide laterally spaced thermal paths extending axially between upper and lower surfaces of the second portion and wherein the RF distribution member includes first and second axially extending gas passages operable to supply process gas to discrete central and annular plenums between the backside of the showerhead electrode and the RF distribution member, wherein the first axially extending gas passage is adapted to connect a first gas supply to the central plenum and the second axially extending gas passage is adapted to connect a second gas supply to the annular plenum;
- and
- a thermal path member attached to the RF distribution member and adapted to provide at least a portion of a thermal path between the top wall of the vacuum chamber and the second portion of the RF distribution member to the showerhead electrode;
- wherein the temperature controlled top wall, in combination with the thermal path member, is adapted to maintain a temperature of the showerhead electrode within a predetermined temperature range.
2 more elements
A showerhead electrode assembly, comprising:
- a showerhead electrode adapted to be mounted below a temperature controlled top wall in an interior of a vacuum chamber and powered by radio frequency (RF) energy;
- a radio frequency (RF) distribution member attached to the showerhead electrode, wherein the RF distribution member includes a first portion adapted to extend axially into an opening in the temperature controlled top wall of the vacuum chamber and a second portion extending laterally over the showerhead electrode, the RF distribution member providing a RF path to multiple contact points across the showerhead electrode, wherein the multiple contact points provide laterally spaced thermal paths extending axially between upper and lower surfaces of the second portion and wherein the RF distribution member includes first and second axially extending gas passages operable to supply process gas to discrete central and annular plenums between the backside of the showerhead electrode and the RF distribution member, wherein the first axially extending gas passage is adapted to connect a first gas supply to the central plenum and the second axially extending gas passage is adapted to connect a second gas supply to the annular plenum;
- and
- a thermal path member attached to the RF distribution member and adapted to provide at least a portion of a thermal path between the top wall of the vacuum chamber and through the second portion of the RF distribution member to the showerhead electrode;
- wherein the temperature controlled to wall, in combination with the thermal path member, is adapted to maintain a temperature of the showerhead electrode within a predetermined temperature range.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.