Collar, conical showerheads and/or top plates for reducing recirculation in a substrate processing system

• US 10,403,474 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Phillips, Richard, Blaquiere, Ryan, Swaminathan, Shankar
• Primary Examiner(s): Zervigon, Rudy
• Application Number:
  US15/207,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20180012733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 118715, 15634533, 15634534
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4401 Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45519 Inert gas curtains
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/334 Etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32091 the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means

Abstract

A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber and a showerhead including a faceplate, a stem portion and a cylindrical base portion. A collar connects the showerhead to a top surface of the processing chamber. The collar defines a gas channel to receive secondary purge gas and a plurality of gas slits to direct the secondary purge gas from the gas channel in a radially outward and downward direction. A conical surface is arranged adjacent to the cylindrical base and around the stem portion of the showerhead. An inverted conical surface is arranged adjacent to a top surface and sidewalls of the processing chamber. The conical surface and the inverted conical surface define an angled gas channel from the plurality of gas slits to a gap defined between a radially outer portion of the cylindrical base portion and the sidewalls of the processing chamber.

Claims

1. A substrate processing system comprising:

a processing chamber;

a showerhead including a faceplate, a stem portion and a cylindrical base portion;

a collar connecting the showerhead to a top surface of the processing chamber,

wherein the collar defines a gas channel to receive secondary purge gas and a plurality of gas slits to direct the secondary purge gas from the gas channel in a radially outward and downward direction; and

a conical surface arranged adjacent to the cylindrical base portion and around the stem portion of the showerhead,

wherein a top surface of the processing chamber includes an inverted conical surface arranged adjacent to the top surface and sidewalls of the processing chamber, wherein the inverted conical surface extends radially outward from (i) the top surface adjacent to the collar to (ii) the sidewalls, and

wherein the conical surface and the inverted conical surface define an angled gas channel in a first gap between the conical surface and the inverted conical surface and extending radially outward from the collar to an outer edge of the cylindrical base portion and to the sidewalls of the processing chamber to define a second gap between a radially outer portion of the cylindrical base portion and the sidewalls of the processing chamber.

2. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the gas channel defines a flow path that has a constant width and that is parallel to a direction of the secondary purge gas flowing from the plurality of gas slits.

3. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the conical surface is hollow and is attached to at least one of the stem portion and the base portion of the showerhead.

4. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the conical surface is solid and is attached to at least one of the stem portion and the base portion of the showerhead.

5. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the conical surface is integrated with at least one of the stem portion and the base portion of the showerhead.

6. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the inverted conical surface is hollow and is attached to at least one of the top surface and the sidewalls of the processing chamber.

7. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the inverted conical surface is solid and is attached to at least one of the top surface and the sidewalls of the processing chamber.

8. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the inverted conical surface is integrated with at least one of the top surface and the sidewalls of the processing chamber.

9. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the conical surface includes a central opening for receiving the stem portion.

10. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gas slits are spaced in radial and axial directions along the collar.