SHOWER PLATE ELECTRODE FOR PLASMA CVD REACTOR

• US 20090155488A1
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Nakano, Ryu, Fukuda, Hideaki
• Application Number:
  US11/959,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20090155488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/569
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/505 using radio frequency discharges

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In particular, a plasma CVD apparatus having a cleaning function, has an improved shower plate with holes having a uniform cross-sectional area to yield a high cleaning rate. The shower plate may serve as an electrode, and may have an electrically conductive extension connected to a power source. The shower plate, through which both cleaning gases and reaction source gases flow, may include a hole machined surface area with a size different than conventionally used to ensure a good film thickness uniformity during a deposition process. The size of the hole machined surface area may vary based on the size of a substrate to be processed, or the size of the entire surface of the shower plate.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a CVD processing chamber after processing a wafer, using a remote plasma-discharge device, comprising:

removing the processed wafer from a susceptor in the chamber;

supplying cleaning gas to the remote plasma discharge device;

using plasma energy to activate the cleaning gas in the remote plasma discharge device; and

conveying the activated cleaning gas into the chamber and through a plurality of holes of a shower plate facing the susceptor, the holes extending completely through the shower plate, the holes each having a uniform cross-sectional area, wherein a diameter of a smallest circular area of the shower plate having all of the holes is 0.95 to 1.05 times a diameter the wafer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the cleaning gas to react with film deposits on surfaces of the chamber and remove said film deposits from the surfaces of the chamber; and

discharging the film deposits through an outlet port of the chamber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning gas removes film deposits from surfaces of the chamber at a rate greater than 2200 nm/min.

4. A method of processing a substrate in a chamber, comprising:

placing the substrate on a susceptor in the chamber; and

supplying a reaction gas into the chamber and through a plurality of holes of a shower plate facing the susceptor, the holes extending completely through the shower plate, the holes each having a uniform cross-sectional area, wherein a diameter of a smallest circular area of the shower plate having all of the holes is 0.95 to 1.05 times a diameter of the substrate.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising exciting the reaction gas to a plasma state in the chamber.

6. A plasma CVD apparatus, comprising:

a plasma CVD reaction chamber;

a susceptor for supporting a substrate thereon, the susceptor disposed inside the reaction chamber and configured to be used as a first electrode to generate a plasma;

a shower plate used as a second electrode to generate said plasma, the shower plate facing the susceptor and having a plurality of holes extending through the shower plate, the holes each having a uniform cross-sectional area, wherein a diameter of a smallest circular area of the shower plate having all of the holes is 0.95 to 1.05 times a diameter of a largest possible substrate that can fit within a confining structure of the susceptor; and

one or more power sources electrically connected to the shower plate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the confining structure comprises an annular wall of a pocket for holding a substrate.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a ceramic conduit mounted above an inlet leading into the shower plate, said conduit being greater than 35 mm.

9. A shower plate for use in a plasma CVD device, comprising:

a plate having an electrically conductive extension configured to be connected to a power source to enable the plate to act as an electrode; and

a plurality of holes extending through the plate and each having a uniform cross-sectional area.

10. The shower plate of claim 9, wherein said holes form a spiral pattern along sides of the shower plate.

11. The shower plate of claim 9, wherein a smallest circular area of a surface of the plate having all of the holes has a diameter between 285 and 310 mm.

12. The shower plate of claim 9, wherein a smallest circular area of a surface of the plate having all of the holes has a diameter between 190 and 210 mm.

13. The shower plate of claim 9, wherein a smallest circular area of a surface of the plate having all of the holes has a diameter between 427.5 and 472.5 mm.