Multi zone gas injection upper electrode system

• US 10,622,195 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Bise, Ryan, Dhindsa, Rajinder, Marakhtanov, Alexei, Li, Lumin, Nam, Sang Ki, Rogers, Jim, Hudson, Eric, Delgadino, Gerardo, Bailey, III, Andrew D., Kellogg, Mike, Llera, Anthony Dela, Ehrlich, Darrell
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou, Jimmy
• Application Number:
  US13/438,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20130126486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,933 Days
• Field of Search: 21912136, 21912143, 219391, 219392, 2194441, 219 61, 21912152, 438247, 438253, 438729, 15634551, 15634544, 15634537, 392416, 392418
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32541 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32642 Focus rings
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32724 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection

Abstract

A system and method of plasma processing includes a plasma processing system including a plasma chamber and a controller coupled to the plasma chamber. The plasma chamber including a substrate support and an upper electrode opposite the substrate support, the upper electrode having a plurality of concentric gas injection zones.

Claims

1. A plasma processing system comprising:

a plasma chamber including;

a substrate support; and

a multi-zone gas injection upper electrode disposed opposite the substrate support, an inner plasma region being defined between the multi-zone gas injection upper electrode and the substrate support, the multi-zone gas injection upper electrode including an inner electrode, an outer electrode that surrounds the inner electrode, and an insulator that separates the inner electrode and the outer electrode, the multi-zone gas injection upper electrode including a gas distribution plate that is surrounded by the insulator and includes an insulator plate disposed over said gas distribution plate, the gas distribution plate being disposed between the insulator plate and the inner electrode, the multi-zone gas injection upper electrode including an inner heater and an outer heater, the inner heater being disposed above the insulator plate, the gas distribution plate, and the inner electrode, the outer heater being disposed above the outer electrode, and a ground electrode disposed between the outer heater and the outer electrode,

wherein the multi-zone gas injection upper electrode has a plurality of concentric gas injection zones, each of the plurality of concentric gas injection zones including a first plurality of gas outlet ports and a second plurality of gas outlet ports, the first plurality of gas outlet ports configured for coupling to a first gas source and the second plurality of gas outlet ports configured for coupling to a second gas source,

a confinement structure surrounding the inner plasma region, the confinement structure having an upper horizontal wall that interfaces with the outer electrode of the multi-zone gas injection upper electrode such that a lower surface of the upper horizontal wall is disposed at a level that is substantially the same as a level at which a lower surface of the inner electrode of the multi-zone gas injection upper electrode is disposed, the confinement structure having a lower horizontal wall that interfaces with the substrate support, the lower horizontal wall including a perforated confinement ring, and the confinement structure having a vertical wall that extends from the upper horizontal wall to the lower horizontal wall, wherein each of the lower surface of the upper horizontal wall, an inner surface of the vertical wall, and an upper surface of the lower horizontal wall defines a boundary of an outer plasma region, the outer plasma region surrounding the inner plasma region; and

a controller coupled to the plasma chamber.

2. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of concentric gas injection zones includes a plurality of gas feeds, the plurality of gas feeds being evenly distributed around the corresponding gas injection zones.

3. The plasma processing system of claim 2, wherein a first plurality of gas feeds in a first concentric gas injection zone are aligned with a second plurality of gas feeds in a second concentric gas injection zone.

4. The plasma processing system of claim 2, wherein a first plurality of gas feeds in a first concentric gas injection zone are offset clockwise from a second plurality of gas feeds in a second concentric gas injection zone.

5. The plasma processing system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the plurality of gas feeds includes a plasma arrestor.

6. The plasma processing system of claim 5, wherein the plasma arrestor includes a plurality of small channels having a width sufficient to extinguish any plasma that reaches the plasma arrestor.

7. The plasma processing system of claim 5, wherein the plasma arrestor includes a ground electrode.

8. The plasma processing system of claim 1, further comprising an RF source coupled to the multi-zone gas injection upper electrode.

10. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein the lower horizontal wall interfaces with an edge ring of the substrate support.

9. A plasma chamber comprising:

a substrate support;

a multi-zone gas injection upper electrode assembly disposed above the substrate support, the multi-zone gas injection upper electrode assembly including an insulator plate, a gas distribution plate disposed under and mounted on the insulator plate, and an inner electrode disposed under and mounted on the gas distribution plate and configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal, an outer electrode that surrounds but is separated from the inner electrode through an insulator, an inner heater disposed over the insulator plate and thermally coupled to the inner electrode, an outer heater disposed above the outer electrode and thermally coupled to the outer electrode via a ground electrode that is disposed between the outer heater and the outer electrode, and a plurality of concentric gas injection zones, each of the plurality of concentric gas injection zones including a first plurality of gas outlet ports and a second plurality of gas outlet ports, the first plurality of gas outlet ports configured to be coupled to a first gas source and the second plurality of gas outlet ports configured to be coupled to a second gas source; and

a confinement structure surrounding an inner plasma region defined between the multi-zone gas injection upper electrode and the substrate support, the confinement structure having an upper horizontal wall that interfaces with the outer electrode of the multi-zone gas injection upper electrode such that a lower surface of the upper horizontal wall is disposed at a level that is substantially the same as a level at which a lower surface of the inner electrode of the multi-zone gas injection upper electrode is disposed, the confinement structure having a lower horizontal wall that interfaces with the substrate support, the lower horizontal wall including a perforated confinement ring, and the confinement structure having a vertical wall that extends from the upper horizontal wall to the lower horizontal wall, wherein each of the lower surface of the upper horizontal wall, an inner surface of the vertical wall, and an upper surface of the lower horizontal wall defines a boundary of an outer plasma region, the outer plasma region surrounding the inner plasma region.

11. The plasma chamber of claim 9, wherein the lower horizontal wall interfaces with an edge ring of the substrate support.