Gas distribution showerhead featuring exhaust apertures
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- walls enclosing a process chamber;
a wafer susceptor positioned within the chamber;
a first exhaust conduit in fluid communication with the chamber; and
a processing gas source in fluid communication with the chamber through a gas distribution showerhead, the gas distribution showerhead comprising;
a first channel in fluid communication with the processing gas source and with apertures distributed over a lower surface of the showerhead; and
a second channel separate from the first channel and in fluid communication with a second exhaust conduit and with exhaust apertures distributed over the lower surface of the showerhead.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to systems and methods for distributing process gases over the surface of a workpiece. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, process gases are flowed from a source to a workpiece surface through a gas distribution showerhead defining a plurality of orifices. The gas distribution showerhead also features a plurality of exhaust orifices for removing material above the wafer surface. The supplemental exhaust afforded by the showerhead exhaust orifices serves to reduce variations in gas velocity attributable to radial flow across the wafer surface, thereby enhancing the uniformity between resulting processing at the wafer edge and center. The ratio of the distribution and exhaust aperture areas may vary or remain constant across the faceplate. Additionally, the size and number of distribution and exhaust apertures may be selected to optimize gas distribution across the semiconductor wafer surface.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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walls enclosing a process chamber;
a wafer susceptor positioned within the chamber;
a first exhaust conduit in fluid communication with the chamber; and
a processing gas source in fluid communication with the chamber through a gas distribution showerhead, the gas distribution showerhead comprising;
a first channel in fluid communication with the processing gas source and with apertures distributed over a lower surface of the showerhead; and
a second channel separate from the first channel and in fluid communication with a second exhaust conduit and with exhaust apertures distributed over the lower surface of the showerhead. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of processing a semiconductor workpiece, the method comprising:
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flowing a process gas to a semiconductor workpiece through a first plurality of orifices positioned in a gas distribution faceplate; and
removing gas from over the semiconductor workpiece through a chamber exhaust port and a second plurality of orifices positioned in the gas distribution faceplate. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of processing a semiconductor wafer in a chamber comprising:
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inserting a semiconductor wafer into the chamber;
evacuating the chamber through a first exhaust port;
introducing at least one process gas through a first set of orifices located on a surface of a showerhead;
removing gas through the first exhaust port; and
removing gas through a plurality of orifices positioned on the surface of the showerhead. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of controlling uniformity of a property of a film deposited on a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising:
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positioning a wafer in a processing chamber;
introducing gases to the wafer through a first plurality of orifices positioned on a faceplate;
removing the gases through a second plurality of orifices positioned on the faceplate; and
simultaneously removing the gases across a radial exhaust path. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification