UNIQUE PASSIVATION TECHNIQUE FOR A CVD BLOCKER PLATE TO PREVENT PARTICLE FORMATION

• US 20070022952A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Guo, Ted, Ritchie, Alan, Lee, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 7,857,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/165 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4402 Reduction of impurities in the source gas
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4404 Coatings or surface treatment on the inside of the reaction chamber or on parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45561 Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45591 Fixed means, e.g. wings, baffles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0491 Valve or valve element assembling, disassembling, or replacing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9029 With coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/497 Pre-usage process, e.g., preloading, aligning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Blocker plates for chemical vapor deposition chambers and methods of treating blocker plates are provided. The blocker plates define a plurality of holes therethrough and have an upper surface and a lower surface that are at least about 99.5% pure, which minimizes the nucleation of contaminating particles on the blocker plates. A physically vapor deposited coating, such as an aluminum physically vapor deposited coating, may be formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the blocker plates. Chemical vapor deposition chambers including blocker plates having a physically vapor deposited coating thereon are also provided.

Claims

1. A blocker plate for distributing gases, the blocker plate comprising:

an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper surface and the lower surface each comprise a material that is at least about 99.5% pure, and wherein the blocker plate defines a plurality of holes therethrough that extend between the upper surface and the lower surface.

2. The blocker plate of claim 1, wherein the material is an aluminum coating.

3. The blocker plate of claim 2, wherein the aluminum coating has a thickness of between about 0.5 μ

m and about 20 μ

m.

4. The blocker plate of claim 1, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum oxide, tungsten, titanium, tantalum, silicon, and silicon oxides.

5. The blocker plate of claim 1, wherein the material is in the form of a coating deposited on the upper and lower surfaces of the blocker plate.

6. The blocker plate of claim 1, wherein the material is formed by treating the upper and lower surfaces of the blocker plate chemically, mechanically, or both chemically and mechanically.

7. A blocker plate for distributing gases, the blocker plate comprising:

an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the blocker plate defines a plurality of holes therethrough that extend between the upper surface and the lower surface; and

an aluminum coating on the upper surface and the lower surface, wherein the aluminum coating is formed by physical vapor depositing or thermally evaporating the aluminum coating on the blocker plate in a processing chamber.

8. The blocker plate of claim 7, wherein the aluminum coating has a thickness of between about 0.5 82 m and about 20 μ

m.

9. The blocker plate of claim 7, wherein physical vapor depositing the aluminum coating comprises:

flowing a process gas into the processing chamber and physical vapor depositing aluminum on the blocker plate for a first period of time;

terminating the flow of the process gas into the chamber for a period of time sufficient to produce a chamber pressure of less than about 1×

10<sup>−

7</sup> Torr;

re-starting the flow of the process gas into the chamber; and

physical vapor depositing aluminum on the blocker plate for a second period of time.

10. The blocker plate of claim 7, wherein physical vapor depositing an aluminum coating comprises:

physical vapor depositing an aluminum coating on one of the upper and lower surfaces of the blocker plate;

cooling the blocker plate; and

then

depositing an aluminum coating on the other one of the upper and lower surfaces of the blocker plate.

11. The blocker plate of claim 7, wherein aluminum coating has a roughness of less than about 18 Ra.

12. A method for treating a blocker plate in a processing chamber, comprising physical vapor depositing an aluminum coating on an upper surface and a lower surface of the blocker plate.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the aluminum coating is physical vapor deposited using a DC power of between about 5 kW and about 40 kW.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the physical vapor deposition is performed for a period of time sufficient to form an aluminum coating having a thickness of between about 0.5 μ

m and about 20 μ

m.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein physical vapor depositing an aluminum coating comprises:

flowing a process gas into the processing chamber and physical vapor depositing aluminum on the blocker plate for a first period of time;

terminating the flow of the process gas into the chamber for a period of time sufficient to produce a chamber pressure of less than about 1×

10<sup>−

7</sup> Torr;

re-starting the flow of the process gas into the chamber; and

physical vapor depositing aluminum on the blocker plate for a second period of time.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein physical vapor depositing an aluminum coating comprises:

physical vapor depositing an aluminum coating on one of the upper and lower surfaces of the blocker plate;

cooling the blocker plate; and

then

depositing an aluminum coating on the other one of the upper and lower surfaces of the blocker plate.

17. A chemical vapor deposition chamber comprising a blocker plate, wherein the blocker plate comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper surface and the lower surface each comprise a material that is at least about 99.5% pure, and wherein the blocker plate defines a plurality of holes therethrough that extend between the upper surface and the lower surface.

18. The chemical vapor deposition chamber of claim 17, wherein the material is an aluminum coating having a thickness of between about 0.5 μ

m and about 20 μ

m.

19. The chemical vapor deposition chamber of claim 18, wherein the aluminum coating is a physical vapor deposited aluminum coating.

20. The chemical vapor deposition chamber of claim 17, further comprising:

a lid;

walls;

a bottom;

a substrate support assembly disposed through the bottom; and

a showerhead coupled to the lid, wherein the blocker plate is disposed between the showerhead and the lid.

21. A method for treating a blocker plate, comprising:

physical vapor depositing a coating on an upper surface and a lower surface of the blocker plate for a first period of time;

degassing the blocker plate for a period of time; and

then

physical vapor depositing the coating on the upper surface and the lower surface of the blocker plate for a second period of time.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the coating comprises greater than 99.5% aluminum.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the coating comprises about 99.5% aluminum and about 0.5% copper.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein a total thickness of the coating deposited for the first period of time and the coating deposited for a second period of time is between about 0.5 μ

m and about 20 μ

m.