US 9,741,546 B2Granted

Symmetric plasma process chamber

AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.

InventorsJames D. Carducci, Hamid Tavassoli, Ajit Balakrishna, Zhigang Chen, Andrew Nguyen, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr., Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf, Kenneth S. Collins

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Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a plasma chamber design that allows extremely symmetrical electrical, thermal, and gas flow conductance through the chamber. By providing such symmetry, plasma formed within the chamber naturally has improved uniformity across the surface of a substrate disposed in a processing region of the chamber. Further, other chamber additions, such as providing the ability to manipulate the gap between upper and lower electrodes as well as between a gas inlet and a substrate being processed, allows better control of plasma processing and uniformity as compared to conventional systems.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:

a lid assembly and a chamber body enclosing a processing region located above a bottom wall of an upper liner and a mesh liner coupled to the bottom wall of the upper liner;
a substrate support assembly disposed in the chamber body;
an exhaust assembly defining an evacuation region within the chamber body, wherein the chamber body includes a plurality of evacuation channels symmetrically disposed about a central axis of the substrate support assembly fluidly connecting the processing region with the evacuation region, wherein the substrate support assembly comprises a lower electrode and a support pedestal disposed in a central region fluidly sealed from the processing and evacuation regions, wherein the central axis is a vertical axis;
and
a plurality of access tubes positioned through the chamber body to provide access to the central region, the plurality of access tubes extending horizontally from the chamber body disposed below the support pedestal and arranged spaced apart in a spoke pattern symmetrically about the central axis of the substrate support assembly, wherein each one of the plurality of evacuation channels extends below a corresponding one of a plurality of evacuation passages positioned in the bottom wall of the upper liner, wherein each one of the plurality of evacuation channels extends between two of the plurality of access tubes, and wherein each access tube is vertically spaced apart from the processing region.

2 more elements

A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:

a lid assembly and a chamber body enclosing a processing region located above a bottom wall of an upper liner and a mesh liner coupled to the bottom wall of the upper liner, wherein the lid assembly comprises:
an upper electrode having a central manifold configured to distribute processing gas into the processing region and one or more outer manifolds configured to distribute processing gas into the processing region;
and
a ring manifold coupled to the one or more outer manifolds via a plurality of gas tubes arranged symmetrically about a vertical axis;
and
a substrate support assembly disposed in the chamber body about a central axis co-linear with the vertical axis, wherein the substrate support assembly comprises:
a lower electrode and a support pedestal disposed in a central region of the chamber body fluidly sealed from the processing region;
and
a plurality of access tubes positioned through the chamber body to provide access to the central region, the plurality of access tubes extending horizontally from the chamber body disposed below the support pedestal and arranged spaced apart in a spoke pattern symmetrically about the central axis of the substrate support assembly;
a plurality of evacuation passages positioned in the bottom wall of the upper liner symmetrically disposed about the central axis of the substrate support assembly;
and
a plurality of evacuation channels symmetrically disposed in the chamber body, each extending below a corresponding one of the plurality of evacuation passages between two of the plurality of access tubes, wherein each access tube is vertically spaced apart from the processing region.

9 more elements

A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:

a lid assembly and a chamber body enclosing a processing region located above a bottom wall of an upper liner and a mesh liner coupled to the bottom wall of the upper liner;
a substrate support assembly disposed in the chamber body, wherein the substrate support assembly comprises:
a lower electrode and a support pedestal disposed in a central region of the chamber body fluidly sealed from the processing region;
and
a plurality of access tubes positioned through the chamber body to provide access to the central region, the plurality of access tubes extending horizontally from the chamber body disposed below the support pedestal and arranged spaced apart in a spoke pattern symmetrically about a central axis of the substrate support assembly, wherein the central axis is a vertical axis;
a plurality of evacuation passages positioned in the bottom wall of the upper liner symmetrically disposed about the central axis of the substrate support assembly;
a plurality of evacuation channels symmetrically disposed in the chamber body, each extending below a corresponding one of the plurality of evacuation passages between two of the plurality of access tubes, wherein each access tube is vertically spaced apart from the processing region, wherein the upper liner circumscribes the processing region, wherein the upper liner has a cylindrical wall with a plurality of slots disposed therethrough and arranged symmetrically about the central axis of the substrate support assembly, and wherein the mesh liner is annularly disposed about the substrate support assembly and is electrically coupled to the upper liner;
and
a backing liner coupled to the cylindrical wall and covering at least one of the plurality of slots.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/629,267Filed 27 Sep 2012 · us provisional application
Priority: 5 Oct 2011
Published: US 2013/0087286 A111 Apr 2013
Granted: 22 Aug 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

H01J 37/3244
Constructional details of the reactor: gas supply means
H01J 37/32082
Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources: radio frequency generated…
H01J 37/32091
Radio frequency generated discharge: the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma
H01J 37/32495
Characterised by the means for protecting vessels or internal parts, e.g. coatings: means for protecting the vessel against plasma