Method and apparatus for an improved baffle plate in a plasma processing system

• US 20050103268A1
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Nishimoto, Shinya, Nakayama, Hiroyuki, Mitsuhashi, Kouji
• Granted Patent: US 7,282,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32623 Mechanical discharge control means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32633 Baffles
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32834 Exhausting

Abstract

The present invention presents an improved baffle plate for a plasma processing system, wherein the design and fabrication of the baffle plate advantageously provides for a uniform processing plasma in the process space with substantially minimal erosion of the baffle plate.

Claims

1. An improved baffle plate in a plasma processing system comprising:

a ring comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, an inner radial edge coupled to said upper surface and said lower surface, an outer radial edge coupled to said upper surface and said lower surface, and at least one passageway coupled to said upper surface and to said lower surface and configured to permit the flow of a gas therethrough,

wherein said upper surface comprises a first mating surface proximate said outer radial edge, said lower surface comprises a second mating surface proximate said outer radial edge and a plurality of fastener mating surfaces proximate said inner radial edge, and each of said at least one passageway comprises an internal passageway surface, and

wherein said ring further comprises at least one of a plurality of fastening receptors and a plurality of mounting through-holes coupled to said upper surface and said lower surface of said baffle plate and configured to receive fastening devices in order to couple said baffle plate to said plasma processing system.

2. The improved baffle plate as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of fastening receptors comprises an entrant cavity, an exit through-hole, and an inner receptor surface.

3. The improved baffle plate as recited in claim 2, wherein said inner receptor surface of at least one of said plurality of fastening receptors comprises a first entrant surface, a first lip surface, a second entrant surface, a second lip surface, and an exit surface.

4. The improved baffle plate as recited in claim 3, wherein said plurality of exposed surfaces further comprises said first entrant surface and said first lip surface.