SHOWER PLATE AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20090120582A1
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cell Signaling Technology Incorporated, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Mochiki, Hiromasa, Denpoh, Kazuki, Koshimizu, Chishio
• Granted Patent: US 9,136,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.340
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow

Abstract

A shower plate of a processing gas supply unit disposed in a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus to supply a processing gas into a processing space in the processing chamber. The shower plate is interposed between a processing gas introduction space formed in the processing gas supply unit for introduction of the processing gas and the processing space. The shower plate includes processing gas supply passageways which allow the processing gas introduction space to communicate with the processing space. The processing gas supply passageways include gas holes formed toward the processing gas introduction space and gas grooves formed toward the processing space, the gas holes and gas grooves communicating with each other. A total flow path cross sectional area of all the gas grooves is larger than a total flow path cross sectional area of all the gas holes.

Claims

1. A shower plate of a processing gas supply unit disposed in a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus to supply a processing gas into a processing space in the processing chamber, which is interposed between a processing gas introduction space formed in the processing gas supply unit for introduction of the processing gas and the processing space, the shower plate comprising:

processing gas supply passageways which allow the processing gas introduction space to communicate with the processing space,

wherein the processing gas supply passageways include gas holes formed toward the processing gas introduction space and gas grooves formed toward the processing space, the gas holes and the gas grooves communicating with each other, and

a total flow path cross sectional area of all the gas grooves is larger than a total flow path cross sectional area of all the gas holes.

2. The shower plate of claim 1, wherein the total flow path cross sectional area of all the gas grooves is 1.75 or more times as large as the total flow path cross sectional area of all the gas holes.

3. The shower plate of claim 1, wherein each depth of the gas grooves is larger than 5 mm.

4. The shower plate of claim 1, wherein the gas grooves are linearly formed parallel to each other on a surface facing the processing space.

5. The shower plate of claim 1, wherein the gas holes are uniformly arranged in a longitudinal direction of the corresponding gas grooves to have openings at bottom portions of the gas grooves.

6. The shower plate of claim 1, further comprising a first member and a second member formed by dividing the shower plate into two sections in a vertical direction, wherein the first member is disposed toward the processing gas introduction space and the second member is disposed toward the processing space, and

the gas holes are formed in the first member and the gas grooves are formed in the second member.

7. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber for accommodating a substrate and performing a process on the substrate, and a processing gas supply unit disposed in the processing chamber to supply a processing gas into a processing space in the processing chamber,

wherein the processing gas supply unit includes a shower plate interposed between a processing gas introduction space formed in the processing gas supply unit for introduction of the processing gas and the processing space, the shower plate having processing gas supply passageways which allow the processing gas introduction space to communicate with the processing space,

the processing gas supply passageways include gas holes formed toward the processing gas introduction space and gas grooves formed toward the processing space, the gas holes and the gas grooves communicating with each other, and

a total flow path cross sectional area of all the gas grooves is larger than a total flow path cross sectional area of all the gas holes.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processing gas supply unit further includes a cooling plate interposed between the processing gas introduction space and the shower plate to cool the shower plate, and

the cooling plate has through holes for allowing the processing gas introduction space to communicate with the processing gas supply passageways.

9. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber for accommodating a substrate and performing a process on the substrate, and a processing gas supply unit disposed in the processing chamber to supply a processing gas into a processing space in the processing chamber,

wherein the processing gas supply unit includes a shower plate interposed between a processing gas introduction space formed in the processing gas supply unit for introduction of the processing gas and the processing space, and a cooling plate interposed between the processing gas introduction space and the shower plate to cool the shower plate,

the shower plate has gas grooves formed therethrough in a vertical direction to communicate with the processing space,

the cooling plate has gas holes for allowing the processing gas introduction space to communicate with the gas grooves, and

a total flow path cross sectional area of all the gas grooves is larger than a total flow path cross sectional area of all the gas holes.