GAS DISTRIBUTION SHOWERHEAD WITH COATING MATERIAL FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING

• US 20110198034A1
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Sun, Jennifer, Thach, Senh, Graves, Thomas, Duan, Ren-Guan
• Application Number:
  US13/011,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20110198034A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.34
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/02 Pretreatment of the material to be coated, e.g. for coating on selected surface areas
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/11 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/18 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means

Abstract

Described herein are exemplary methods and apparatuses for fabricating a gas distribution showerhead assembly in accordance with one embodiment. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a gas distribution plate having a first set of through-holes for delivering processing gases into a semiconductor processing chamber. The first set of through-holes is located on a backside of the plate (e.g., Aluminum substrate). The method includes spraying (e.g., plasma spraying) a coating material (e.g., Ytrria based material) onto a cleaned surface of the gas distribution plate. The method includes removing (e.g., surface grinding) a portion of the coating material from the surface to reduce a thickness of the coating material. The method includes forming (e.g., UV laser drilling, machining) a second set of through-holes in the coating material such that the through-holes are aligned with the first-set of through-holes.

Claims

1. A gas distribution showerhead assembly for use within a semiconductor processing chamber, comprising:

a gas distribution plate having a first set of through-holes for delivering processing gases into the semiconductor processing chamber; and

a coating material that is sprayed onto the gas distribution plate, wherein the coating material has a second set of through-holes aligned with the first set of through-holes for delivering processing gases into the semiconductor processing chamber.

2. The gas distribution showerhead assembly of claim 1, wherein the coating material is a plasma spray coating.

3. The gas distribution showerhead assembly of claim 2, wherein the coating material comprises Ytrria.

4. The gas distribution showerhead assembly of claim 1, wherein the coating material comprises at least one of the following materials or combinations of materials:

YAG, Y₂O₃/2OZrO₂, Y₂O₃, Al₂O₃/YAG, an advanced coating material, Y₂O₃/ZrO₂/Nb₂O₅, ZrO₂/3Y₂O₃, and Y₂O₃/ZrO₂/HfO₂.

5. The gas distribution showerhead assembly of claim 4, wherein the advanced coating material comprises YtO3, AlO3, and ZrO3.

6. The gas distribution showerhead assembly of claim 1, wherein the first set of through-holes has a diameter of approximately 0.070 inches to 0.090 inches.

7. The gas distribution showerhead assembly of claim 5, wherein the second set of through-holes has a diameter of approximately 0.010 inches to 0.030 inches.

8. The gas distribution showerhead assembly of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the coating material is approximately 0.020 inches to 0.030 inches.

9. The gas distribution showerhead assembly of claim 1, wherein the gas distribution plate has a thickness of approximately 0.038 inches to 0.050 inches.

10. The gas distribution showerhead assembly of claim 5, wherein two of the second set of through-holes are aligned with each through-hole of the first set of through-holes.

11. A method of fabricating a gas distribution showerhead assembly, comprising:

providing a gas distribution plate having a first set of through-holes for delivering processing gases into a semiconductor processing chamber; and

plasma spraying a coating material onto the gas distribution plate.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

removing a portion of the coating material to reduce a thickness of the coating material.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

forming a second set of through-holes in the coating material such that the through-holes are aligned with the first-set of through-holes.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the coating material comprises Ytrria.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the coating material comprises at least one of the following materials or combinations of materials:

YAG, Y₂O₃/2OZrO₂, Y₂O₃, Al₂O₃/YAG, an advanced coating material, Y₂O₃/ZrO₂/Nb₂O₅, ZrO₂/3Y₂O₃, and Y₂O₃/ZrO₂/HfO₂.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the advanced coating material comprises YtO3, AlO3, and ZrO3.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first set of through-holes has a diameter of approximately 0.070 inches to 0.090 inches and the second set of through-holes has a diameter of approximately 0.010 inches to 0.030 inches.

18. A semiconductor processing chamber, comprising:

a showerhead assembly that comprises

a gas distribution plate having a first set of through-holes for delivering processing gases into the semiconductor processing chamber; and

a coating material that is sprayed onto the gas distribution plate, wherein the coating material has a second set of through-holes aligned with the first set of through-holes for delivering processing gases into the semiconductor processing chamber; and

a RF power source coupled to the showerhead assembly, the RF power source to bias the showerhead assembly.

19. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 18, wherein the coating material is a plasma spray coating.

20. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 19, wherein the coating material comprises at least one of the following materials or combinations of materials:

Ytrria, YAG, Y₂O₃/2OZrO₂, Y₂O₃, Al₂O₃/YAG, an advanced coating material, Y₂O₃/ZrO₂/Nb₂O₅, ZrO₂/3Y₂O₃, and Y₂O₃/ZrO₂/HfO₂.